Mariah Carey Reveals Why She 'Can't Help' But Be A 'Diva'

Grammy-winning singer, Mariah Carey, recently shed some light on her diva image. The artist is known for releasing several popular songs, including her endless hit track "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Since its release in 1994, the song has continued to be a crowd favorite, particularly during the festive season.

Due to her popularity during Christmas, Carey reportedly attempted to trademark the term "Queen of Christmas." Unfortunately for her, stars like Elizabeth Chan and other Christmas artists opposed her request. The court did not rule in her favor and notified her that "Princess of Christmas" was also off the table.

Read on to learn more.

In a phone conversation with W Magazine, Carey talked about her diva image and how she sometimes played into it. In the interview published on Friday, the artist said, "There are things people are not aware of because this whole quote-unquote 'diva' thing is always what people see first."

Carey continued, "Yes, I play into it. And yes, part of that is real. I can't help it. Like, what do you do if you grew up with an opera singer for a mother who went to Juilliard and made her debut at Lincoln Center?"

The "Without You" artist further revealed that her diva personality was a response to how she was raised in addition to an "affectation." Carey's mother and father were Alfred Roy, and Patricia Carey. Her mother was an opera singer with the New York City Opera, while Alfred worked as an aeronautical engineer.

Carey's mother is white, while her father is a mix of black and Hispanic. During the phone call conversation with W Magazine, the mother of two revealed that while growing up as a biracial girl in a primarily white neighborhood, she felt "othered." The artist went on to describe her childhood as "extremely dysfunctional," enough so that she was shocked she made it out of there.

Despite her Queen of Christmas moniker, Carey admitted that her Christmases as a child were far from good. She said, "People think I had this princess-style life or whatever, a kind of fairy-tale existence where I just emerged, like, 'Here I am!' And that is not what it is."

Carey noted that her less-than-savory background made her even more determined that her children, Moroccan and Monroe, would have the best she could give them. "But when you grow up with a messed-up life, and then you're able to have this transformation where you can make your life what you want it to be? That is joy for me," the singer said. "That's why I want my kids to have everything they can have."

This year, Carey made her Christmas appearance before the holiday. The Grammy-winning artist joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which took place in New York City on Thursday. Clad in a festive red eye-catching gown, Carey performed her all-time hit song, "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

The singer wore a tulle Cristian Siriano gown with a pencil skirt design and a dramatic mermaid silhouette. Carey made the eye-catching outfit even more dramatic with a beaded and bedazzled umbrella and a silver tiara. Fans seemed enamored by the singer's outfit and shared pictures of her on social media with admiring comments.

Carey had dancers dressed like nutcrackers around her in the middle of the performance, in addition to Moroccan and Monroe, her 11-year-old twins. Other acts in the parade include Dionne Warwick, Lea Michele, Ziggy Marley, and several others.

Earlier this month, Page Six reported that Carey had attempted and failed to trademark the moniker "Queen of Christmas" ahead of the holidays. The US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled against her attempt and declared that she could not trademark "Princess of Christmas" either.

Carey's company, Lotion LLC, was behind the filing in a bid to use the term in her line of merchandise, including fragrances, albums, sunglasses, and several others. Full-time pop Christmas recording artist Chan, however, filed an opposition against the artist earlier this year. Darlene Love also backed up the opposition.

After winning the case, Chan's attorney Louis Tompros called Carey's move a "classic case of trademark bullying." He continued, "We are pleased with the victory and delighted that we were able to help Elizabeth fight back against Carey's overreaching trademark registrations."

Also spoke to Page Six about the case saying, "I did this to protect and save Christmas. Christmas isn't about one single person — it's about everybody. I've dedicated my life to this understanding of how special Christmas is. It was difficult to be the one to stand up."