Talking to Marilyn Monroe's ghost, getting grilled by Ellen and overcoming abuse, racism
and sexism.
Mariah Carey has faced tragedy since childhood.
As the child of a white mother, Patricia, and Black father, Alfred, Mariah Carey sadly
faced the wrath of racists when growing up.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Patricia revealed that her own mother was disappointed
when she announced her engagement to a Black man and ultimately disowned her when she married him.
"For years and years she never even told her brothers and sisters - sister - that I was married."
The Careys also faced racial prejudice from their neighbors, some of whom allegedly poisoned
the family dog and even shot through their windows.
But it wasn't until a 6-year-old Mariah brought a friend around to her father's house that
she realized she looked different to the other children in her predominantly white neighborhood.
Explaining that she didn't believe her friend had ever seen a Black man before, Mariah told
The Guardian that her friend began crying when she saw her dad.
Although her father tried to comfort her, the realities of racism became resoundingly
clear to the adolescent.
Being a light-skinned Black girl who was often misidentified as white, Mariah told Vulture
about the shame she felt of having to live in white neighborhoods, where no one was visibly Black.
It was these experiences that instilled Mariah with feelings of loneliness and not belonging.
Accordingly, growing up in a bigoted environment led to her questioning her own identity, as
she told The Guardian -
If you or a loved one has experienced a hate crime, contact the VictimConnect Hotline by
phone at 1-855-4-VICTIM or by chat for more information or assistance in locating services
to help.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
According to The Guardian, Mariah Carey's parents split up when she was just three,
and afterwards, the family lived in poverty.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mariah explained that as a child, she was left feeling
like nobody understood her pain.
This was largely due to the fact that her parents were still married when her elder
brother and sister were growing up, whereas she seemingly had to navigate childhood more
on her own, having been so young when her parents divorced.
"No friend, nobody I grew up with, nobody in school could even come close to relating
to my experience."
Subsequently, when she embarked on a music career, she was determined to escape the poverty
in which she had been raised, telling The Guardian in 2002 -
When Mariah Carey was growing up, she soon realized that she couldn't always rely on
the adults in her life.
At the tender age of seven, she was at the beach with her mom and nearly drowned; despite
screaming for help, her mother allegedly remained oblivious, per the singer's 2020 memoir
"The Meaning of Mariah Carey."
Subsequently, she acknowledged feeling as though she never had someone who loved her
unconditionally.
Due to these feelings of being unloved, she began to question whether Patricia actually
wanted to become a mom in the first place.
In a chat with The Guardian, she discussed the origin story of her biggest hit, "All
I Want for Christmas Is You," which she was spurred to write after experiencing one too
many unhappy festive seasons as a child.
In her memoir, the singer explained that she grew up idolizing her mom.
But the pair's relationship seemed fraught at the best of times.
Describing her toxic relationship with Patricia, Mariah explained that while she loves her
mom and believes she did her best, she nonetheless felt that her mother caused her severe emotional damage.
Speaking with "CBS This Morning," Mariah revealed that these difficulties with her mom were
made worse by her fame, as Patricia apparently grew jealous of her own daughter's success
as her own dreams of being a famous opera singer dwindled.
"Here you are, you're starting your career, and your mom's singing and she says 'You should
only hope that you could be half the singer that I am.'"
The star reflected that this had a profound effect on her, but also acknowledged that
her mother likely didn't remember ever having made such hurtful remarks.
Despite their difficult relationship, Mariah still supports her mom financially, something
that she told Vulture she would continue to do for the rest of her life.
Sadly, Mariah Carey's father, Alfred Carey, died in 2002, at the age of 72.
In her memoir, she painted a decidedly different picture of her father in contrast to her mom.
According to the singer's accounts, Alfred was a benevolent man who loved his daughter unconditionally.
Flying to the hospital to visit Alfred while he received cancer treatment, Mariah was amazed
that her dad still looked his usual vibrant self.
Sadly, his condition quickly deteriorated, and the singer watched her father become a
shadow of his former self.
In their final moments together, father and daughter had a heart-to-heart whereby Mariah
explained why it was necessary for her to leave her family behind to pursue her career, writing -
In 2022, Mariah paid tribute to her late dad on Instagram, 20 years after his death.
Posting a snap of the grandchildren Alfred never got to meet looking at a picture of
their grandfather.
In her 2020 memoir, Mariah claimed that her older sister Alison had once mutilated and
drugged her, writing -
She alleged that Alison deliberately put her in unsafe situations, exposing the youngster
to her boyfriend, who allegedly attempted to assault her.
Moreover, she claimed that her brother, Morgan, was violent and almost killed their mom, and
that the two also allegedly concocted a plan to extort $5,000 from the star.
Speaking to The Sun, Alison vehemently denied her sister's allegations.
Following the allegations, Alison filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against Mariah in 2021,
as reported by Rolling Stone.
According to Forbes, her brother followed suit the following year, though a judge rejected
the majority of his claims.
In 1993, when she was 23, Mariah Carey wed 44 year old Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola.
Mottola allegedly emotionally abused Carey, reportedly once holding a knife to her face
in a fit of jealousy.
About the experience, she admitted to The Guardian -
"I don't know if I'll ever fully recover from the damage of that emotional abuse."
Mottola acknowledged his mistakes in his own memoir "Hitmaker: The Man and His Music,"
writing -
According to Complex, Mottola also reportedly stalked Carey and had her phones tapped.
Writing about the alleged abuse in her memoir, Carey detailed the extent of the isolation
Mottola imposed upon her, preventing her from going outside and meeting friends.
In a 2010 interview with the Independent, Carey acknowledged that she saw parallels
between herself and the titular protagonist in the film "Precious," so she channeled her
trauma into her acclaimed supporting role as a social worker.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
In 2001, Mariah Carey found herself facing mental health struggles, leading to a cruel
media frenzy.
Per The Guardian, she claimed that Marilyn Monroe, her biggest idol, was conversing with
her from beyond the grave.
Emotionally exhausted, People reported that she was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
For years, she thought she had insomnia when in actuality she was experiencing mania, telling
People in 2018 -
The songstress went to therapy and was also put on medication for her disorder.
She said that she wanted to alleviate the enduring stigma surrounding mental illness,
particularly when it comes to poorly understood conditions such as bipolar disorder.
Furthermore, according to The Guardian, it was Carey's mom who called the cops on her
when she was experiencing personal turmoil, something that angered the superstar singer.
Noting in her memoir that the police believed her mom over her, she mused -
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text
Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI
(6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
According to Rolling Stone in 2019, Mariah Carey's assistant, Lianna Shakhnazaryan, sued
the singer and her manager, Stella Bulochnikov, claiming that Carey allowed the latter to
abuse and humiliate her.
She alleged that Carey forced her to be on call 24/7, while Bulochnikov allegedly ridiculed
her Armenian heritage, sexually assaulted her by grabbing her breasts and buttocks,
and urinated on her.
The pop star's former assistant also accused Carey of being complicit in the alleged abuse,
arguing that she was aware of Bulochnikov's behavior but chose to allow it to continue.
Shakhnazaryan further alleged that Carey fired her in retaliation shortly after she complained
about Bulochnikov's behavior.
People reported that Carey countersued for $3 million, alleging that Shakhnazaryan betrayed
her trust and violated her privacy by filming her at her most vulnerable without her consent.
Carey further claimed that Shakhnazaryan blackmailed her by threatening to publicly release the
videos if Carey didn't give her $8 million.
In 2020, according to Page Six, a judge sanctioned Shakhnazaryan for destroying evidence that
would have helped Carey's case.
Shakhnazaryan also reportedly violated her non-disclosure agreement.
The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2021.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
In a now-infamous 2008 episode of her show, Ellen DeGeneres demanded to know whether Mariah
Carey was pregnant.
When the singer refused to discuss the matter, DeGeneres offered her alcohol in an apparent
attempt to catch her out.
Accordingly, she was essentially made to publicly reveal that she was expecting.
In an interview with Vulture, Carey revealed that the ordeal was particularly distressing
since she suffered a miscarriage shortly after the appearance, saying -
Opening up to "Access Hollywood" in 2010, the pop star and her then-husband, Nick Cannon,
admitted that they were hesitant to disclose Carey's pregnancy following the miscarriage.
Cannon marveled at Carey's resilience, praising her ability to act happy and carefree around
others during the day, even if that wasn't what she was feeling.
"And then, you know, literally at night crying herself to sleep."
"The bottom line is that was a sad note."
As a young woman starting out in the music industry, Mariah Carey was subjected to the
unwanted sexual advances of predators.
The star explained that her 1993 hit single "Dreamlover," in particular, came out of a
painful period in her life, one in which she was robbed of autonomy, admitting to Variety -
When Carey did make it as a singer, she was routinely branded as a diva, which some argue
is an inherently sexist moniker used to denigrate strong and assertive women.
Regarding this perception of her, Carey has posited that she worked her way up from poverty
to the enviable position she now finds herself in, telling The Guardian in 2020 -