Do we know what happened to Mariah Carey’s mother and sister?

An unimaginable tragedy has befallen Mariah Carey, as both her mother, Patricia Carey, and her sister, Alison Carey, have died on the same day. Her family has often been the subject of her music, with the song “Petals,” discussing her awkward relationship with her sister Alison, and her ex-husband, Tommy Mottola. 

In “Through the Rain,” she painted a picture of her parents’ tumultuous relationship, strained by their racial differences. In turn, Mariah herself struggled with her biracial identity. She shed light on this in her memoir, writing: “Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment. A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother’s.”

Mariah and Patricia seemed to have reached an amicable point in their relationship, but Mariah maintained a distance from her sister and brother, whom she referred to as her ex-sister and ex-brother. Now things have changed forever, but how?

What happened to Mariah Carey’s mother and sister?

Details about the cause of death of Mariah Carey’s mother and sister are still unknown as of this moment. She revealed to PEOPLE that she was heartbroken, signifying that, no matter their differences, Carey truly cared for her relatives. “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend,” she wrote. “Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.” Carey has requested privacy during this time. Her fans have continued to shower the icon with love since the news of her bereavement.