8 tragic details about Mariah Carey's life: From fragile family dynamics to mental health struggles

8 tragic tales from Mariah Carey's turbulent life

Mariah Carey, who is one of the most successful musicians worldwide, hasn't had an easy life. Beneath the glitz and glamor lies very intimate tales that are heartbreaking, to say the least. On August 26, Mariah announced the heartbreaking news that her mother, Patricia Carey, and her estranged older sister, Alison Carey, died on the same day over the weekend. As Mariah grieves the deaths, let's look at some of the tragedies surrounding the 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' singer. 

1. Mariah Carey faced racial discrimination as a child

A young Mariah Carey often endured racial harassment at the hands of people who were offended that she was the daughter of a Black father and a White mother. In her 2020 memoir 'The Meaning of Mariah Carey', she wrote, "My first encounters with racism were like a first kiss in reverse: each time, a piece of purity was ripped from my being." When Mariah sketched her father, she remembered that other students at school made fun of her, and even her teacher joined in, telling her that she had filled in her father's skin with the wrong crayon, as per The List.

2. Mariah Carey's 'Total Request Live' stunt in 2001 turned nasty

Mariah Carey made headlines when she appeared on the 'Total Request Live' program in June 2001. She did not look right when she took the 'TRL' stage while promoting 'Loverboy', the first song off the 'Glitter' soundtrack. Wearing a large T-shirt, she distributed ice cream while talking about swimming and rainbows. "Mariah Carey's lost her mind," remarked Carson Daly, staring directly at the camera. Although Mariah claimed in her memoir that her appearance on 'TRL' was a publicity gimmick gone wrong, the outrage that followed turned that period of her life into a genuine tragedy. She wrote, "It was the first time I had experienced the phenomenon of a public fail that woke the monster in the media. The bombed stunt mushroomed into a big, nasty, never-ending story."

3. Mariah Carey felt locked up in marriage to Tommy Mottola

Another horrible circumstance that Mariah Carey went through was her marriage to Sony Music mogul Tommy Mottola. Tommy was the one who discovered Mariah and they got married in the early years of her career—despite their considerable age difference. She revealed in her memoir that she was never content with Tommy. Mariah also talked about the oppressive nature of the marriage on Meghan Markle's 'Archetypes' podcast. "I was kind of locked away and I was sort of, you know, given the rules and had to stick with them," explained the singer. As their marriage collapsed, Mariah felt Tommy was wrecking her career

4. Mariah Carey was diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Mariah Carey had a challenging childhood and, because of her unstable upbringing, she continued to be profoundly affected by the trauma she had experienced as an adult. She disclosed her diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2018 and claimed to have learned about the condition during a hospital stay in 2001. Mariah stated in an interview with The Guardian that she has realized that her childhood experiences are what led to her current mental health issues. She said, "It was a combination of being biracial and experiencing the darker side of life," which made it difficult for her to define herself.

5. Mariah Carey shared a difficult relationship with her mother Patricia Carey

Patricia Carey was not only the mother of a famous person, she was also a skilled opera singer and voice instructor who performed on New York City stages. Mariah has been open and honest about how difficult her relationship was with her mother. She characterized their relationship as one of "betrayal and beauty" in her memoir—a blend of love, neglect, sacrifice, and survival, as per Hello! Magazine. Mariah wrote in her memoir, "And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could. I will love you the best I can, always," acknowledging Patricia's efforts in raising her despite the difficulties.

6. Mariah Carey and her older sister Alison Carey's tense relationship

Similar tension existed between Mariah and her older sister Alison. Over time, their connection grew more and more tense as Alison's life was filled with hardships. Given the severity of their issues, Mariah wrote in her memoir that it was "emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact" with Alison. She further wrote, "My sister drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine, inflicted me with third-degree burns," and claimed that Alison "tried to sell me out to a pimp." Mariah reportedly hadn't seen her older sister for decades before her death this past weekend. 

7. Mariah Carey's brother Morgan Carey sued her for spreading 'malicious falsehoods'

Mariah's brother Morgan has also shared the spotlight but in a different manner. He gained notoriety as a celebrity fitness trainer and even dabbled in music creation before Mariah's quick ascent to fame. However, their relationship has been tense since their childhood. In her memoir, Mariah claimed that her brother often got into violent fights with their father. About his anger, she wrote, "I always thought of my brother's anger as weather — powerful destructive, and unpredictable." According to reports, Morgan filed a lawsuit in March 2021 against Mariah for the contents of her 2020 memoir, alleging that she had damaged his reputation by spreading what he called "malicious falsehoods." The lawsuit brought to light the persistent conflict within the Carey family, but a judge ultimately rejected most of Morgan's allegations.

8. Mariah Carey grew detached from her father Alfred Roy Carey as her career took off

Another important person in Mariah's life was her father, Alfred Roy Carey, even if their relationship was similarly characterized by times of distance. Initially, the father-daughter duo shared a close connection and Mariah looked forward to Alfred's weekly Sunday visits, which included an extravagant Italian feast that he would make. However, those trips reduced in frequency as Mariah's career took off. Despite their increasing detachment, Mariah and Alfred were able to reconcile during the months preceding his death on July 4, 2002, due to a rare form of bile duct cancer. Mariah paid tribute to him with the song 'Sunflowers for Alfred Roy', which was included in her album 'Charmbracelet'.