Mariah Carey’s Estranged Sister Had a ‘Tough Life’ Before She Died

A friend of Mariah Carey’s estranged sister, Alison Carey, is speaking out after the 63-year-old died on the same day as her mother Patricia Carey, on Saturday.

In an interview with People , Alison’s friend David Baker said she fell ill about a month ago and “had a tough life.” Baker did not disclose the cause of Alison’s death, but said her passing wasn’t a shock. Baker told The Sun that Alison had “a problem with internal organs.”

Baker said he has known Alison for almost a decade and was introduced to her through a Facebook group by Mariah’s estranged brother, Morgan, who reached out to have someone check on Alison. Alison had experienced serious brain trauma and a subsequent hemorrhage stemming from a home invasion.

“I knew when I saw the request that I was the only person anywhere near Albany, New York,” Baker told the People .

The two eventually grew close and spoke daily. Baker said that he even helped Alison find her last apartment in Coxsackie, New York, where she passed away.

“I saw somebody who needed help and I knew I could do it,” said Baker. “She’d tell me that she was so glad I was around.”

According to Baker, Alison hadn’t seen Mariah for more than two decades. The singer detailed her strained relationship in her 202o memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey . In it, she detailed the trauma she suffered because of her siblings and even accused Alison of trying to “sell” her to a “pimp.”

Alison died shortly after midnight on Saturday and her mother Patricia died later that same day .

In a statement addressing their deaths, Carey said “my heart is broken.”

“I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time,” she said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.