Mariah Carey's mother, sister die on the same day

Mariah Carey's mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, both died on the same day this weekend.

The Long Island-raised singer said in a statement to TMZ and People magazine: "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 added: "I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."

Patricia was 87 years old and Alison was 63. No cause of death was given for either woman.

In her 2020 memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," the singer described a complex relationship with her mother, a Juilliard School-trained opera singer and vocal coach. Carey called it a "prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment."

Nevertheless, they managed to maintain a relationship throughout the years. According to People, in 2010, they appeared together on ABC's "Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You" special, performing a duet of "O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus."

Carey also dedicated her memoir in part to her mother. "And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could," she wrote. "I will love you the best I can, always."

Patricia was married to Alfred Carey from 1960 to 1973. In addition to Alison and Mariah, they also had a son, Morgan. (Alfred died in 2002.)

Carey's relationship with her sister was more fraught. In February 2021, Alison sued the singer for $1.25 million over how she was described in the memoir. Alison alleged that her younger sister intentionally caused her "emotional distress" and "public humiliation."

The Albany Times Union reported that  Alison Carey  died in upstate Coxsackie,  according to her friend and advocate David Baker.  Baker said the cause of death was related to Carey’s organ function and that she had been in hospice care.

Carey had been living upstate in recent years. She had struggled over the years with homelessness and substance use disorder, the Times Union said.