Mariah Carey Admits 'It Hasn't Been Easy' Processing Deaths Of Mom And Sister But She Feels 'Peace'

One year after Mariah Carey lost her mother, Patricia Carey, and her sister, Alison Carey, the pop star has finally opened up on how she processed the heartbreaking tragedy.

Losing two family members on the same day was far from an easy reality to accept, and Mariah candidly revealed her struggles with grief.

While she is grateful to have spent her mother's final days by her side, the story was different with her sister, with whom she had a strained relationship until her passing.

In a recent interview with "CBS Mornings," Mariah shared intimate details of how she battled the grief of losing both her mom and sister in a single day.

"I don't know how I processed it, I just know that it was extremely difficult for me to navigate," she admitted to the host, Gayle King.

She explained that the situation was especially challenging because she had always shared a complicated relationship with her mother. Little wonder she once described their bond in her memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey", as "a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment."

Mariah reiterated to the host, "It hasn't been easy." Still, she expressed relief at having spent her mother's last days with her, noting how it gave her some comfort.

On the other hand, she admitted to feeling guilt about not reconciling with Alison before her death, whom she described as having "a rough life."

When asked by the host, "Do you feel you made peace with your mom?" Mariah responded with confidence, "I do," affirming she feels at "peace."

She went on to explain that her mother shared several meaningful things with her before passing, which gave her the healing she needed. Mariah also revealed that her mother, an opera singer, was her first music inspiration, shaping her career. 

The Queen of Christmas fondly recalled a touching full-circle moment in London, where a young girl asked her to sign an album belonging to her mother. 

The girl described the record as "fragile," and Mariah agreed, noting how symbolic that moment felt.

Fans may recall that the "We Belong Together" songstress broke the devastating news of her mother and sister's passing in August 2024. 

"My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day," she wrote in a statement, according to The Blast.

She added, "I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed." Mariah further thanked her fans for their "love and support and respect" of her privacy "during this impossible time."

Without disclosing the cause of death, she later returned to Instagram a month later, posting clips of herself preparing for shows in Canada and Brazil. 

"Back at work. It's been a couple of rough weeks, but I appreciate everyone's love and support so much, and I can't wait to see my fans in China & Brazil," the accompanying caption read.

Her fans flooded the comments with encouragement, with one writing, "Love you, Mariah. Hope you took some time out for yourself in all of the rough weeks. Wishing you a speedy recovery and good health."

Although Mariah admitted she hadn't seen her sister for years before her death, Alison's close friend, David Baker, revealed her dying wish.

According to Baker, Alison longed to reunite with Mariah, even though she remained upset over how she felt she was treated by both Mariah and their mother. "But I know it was her dying wish if she could've at least had a conversation with Mariah," he said.

He further claimed that Mariah neither visited nor called Alison, adding furiously, "It was awful because it was just all about her. In her eyes, it's all about Mariah and never anyone else."

Baker accused the singer of seeking public attention, calling her actions "typical of Mariah."

As The Blast reported, Mariah had already cut ties with Alison as far back as 2020, when she referred to her as her "ex-sister" in her memoir.

"When I was 12 years old, my sister drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine ... and tried to sell me out to a pimp," Mariah claimed, explaining that the traumatic experience pushed her to separate herself from Alison.

While Baker admitted Alison fought many personal battles, he maintained that Mariah should have handled the relationship differently.

"[Mariah] called her [Alison] an ex-sister, which was a nasty thing to say, and [Alison] never got over that. She continued to dismiss her as if there was something she could do to change that. No matter what, she will always be her sister," Baker said.