Singer Mariah Carey mourning deaths of mother, sister

Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Singer Mariah Carey is mourning the double deaths of her mother Patricia and sister Alison.

"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," Carey, 55, said in a statement Monday.

"I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed," Carey added. "I appreciate everyone's love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."

Carey did not reveal the causes of the women's deaths.

Patricia, 87, was a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach, who shared three children -- daughters Alison and Mariah and son Morgan -- with her ex-husband, Alfred Roy Carey.

Mariah reportedly had been long estranged from Alison, whom she had publicly accused of abusing her as a child.

In a 2021 lawsuit against Mariah, Alison said her younger sister's allegations had caused her further distress as she was battling "alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, spine and digestive disorders, a traumatic brain injury, short-term memory problems and vision problems following a 2015 unsolved home invasion."