For Mariah Carey As she became a famous musician, she struggled to find love and happiness within her broken family—a goal that did not change with her musical success.

Carey detailed her ups and downs with her family, especially her mother, Patricia Careyin her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah CareyThe Grammy winner revealed that as a child she felt her mother had given her “significant neglect” and claimed she was jealous of her career.

“For my sanity and peace of mind, my therapist encouraged me to literally rename and reframe my family. My mom became Pat to me, Morgan my ex-brother, and Alison my ex-sister,” Mariah wrote, referring to her siblings, Morgan And Alison Carey“I had to stop expecting that one day they would miraculously become the mother, big brother and big sister that I fantasized about.”

She confessed, “I had to stop making myself available to be hurt by them,” noting that she continued to have a “complicated” dynamic with Patricia until her death in August 2024.

Despite their ups and downs, Mariah said she felt “blessed” to “spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” she told People in a statement. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”

Scroll down to learn more about Mariah’s family:

Alfred Roy Carey

Mariah’s father, Alfred, and his wife Patricia had three children before the couple divorced in 1973 when Mariah was just 3 years old. As a child, Mariah only saw her father on weekends, but once she became a star, their visits became less frequent.

Alfred, who grew up in New York, died in July 2022 after a battle with a rare form of cancer called bile duct disease. He was 72. Before his passing, Mariah had reconnected with her father, who had served in the military when he was younger. She has since honored his legacy in her song “Sunflowers for Alfred Roy” and, in October 2022, restored his classic sports car on his birthday.

Patricia Carey

Mariah’s mother was an opera singer who trained at Juilliard, and who, after giving up her career to raise a family, became a vocal coach. Patricia died in August 2024 at the age of 87.

Throughout her life, Mariah’s relationship with Patricia was “anything but easy,” according to the singer’s memoir. After her divorce from Alfred, Patricia had primary custody of Mariah and her two siblings, but things weren’t smooth sailing.

“Like so many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been filled with contradictions and competing realities. It has never just been black and white — it has been a rainbow of emotions,” Mariah wrote. “Our relationship is a thorny rope of pride, hurt, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment. A complicated love binds my heart to my mother’s.”

Despite their conflicts, Mariah said in an August 2024 statement, “I am heartbroken that I lost my mother this past weekend,” following her death.

Alison Carey

Alison was the eldest of Mariah’s siblings. Alison passed away on the same day as her and Mariah’s mother, Patricia, in August 2024. She was 63. “Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” Mariah said in a statement confirming Alison’s passing.

Before her death, Mariah described her relationship with Alison as strained. “I have no doubt that it is emotionally and physically safer for me to not have contact with my ex-brother and ex-sister,” Mariah wrote of her siblings in her 2020 book. Alison later sued Mariah for allegedly causing her “emotional distress” with her disclosure. The lawsuit had not been resolved at the time of Alison’s death, according to In-Touch.

Morgan Carey

Morgan is the only son of Alfred and Patricia. Mariah’s relationship with Morgan has been fraught with problems, many of which she detailed in her 2020 memoir. In addition to detailing an alleged physical fight between Morgan and their father in the book, Mariah alleged that Morgan tried to extort money from her when she became famous.

“Her attempt to falsely portray Plaintiff as being as violent as her father, and her subsequent commentary on police relations with Black people, was just the beginning of Defendant Mariah Carey’s desperate attempt to smear Plaintiff, play the victim card, and curry favor with the Black Lives Matter movement,” Morgan’s legal team alleged in a defamation lawsuit against Mariah filed in March 2021.

Mariah filed a rebuttal, stating: “The story of Ms. Carey’s rise from a dysfunctional and at times abusive family environment has significant public value, particularly for any young person caught in similarly harsh and discouraging circumstances who might benefit from the inspiration to use their talents to pursue their dreams,” Page Six.

In February 2022, a judge dismissed 14 of the 16 defamation cases against Mariah. Barbara Jaffee of the Manhattan State Supreme Court said Morgan can sue Mariah over passages in her book that suggested he provided cocaine to “beautiful people” and implied he might be “in the system,” aka in prison for a serious crime, Reuters reported. As of October 2023, the case was still ongoing.

Monroe Cannon

Mariah welcomed her daughter Monroe and her twin brother, Moroccan, with her then-husband in April 2011 Nick Kanon. Monroe is named after the late actress Marilyn Monroe. Mariah and Cannon were married from 2008 to 2016 before divorcing. The exes continue to co-parent their two children.

When it comes to Monroe, who goes by the nickname “Roe,” she’s following in her mother’s footsteps. In December 2022, Monroe sang a duet with Mariah at a Canadian Christmas concert. The following year, Monroe and Moroccan shared the stage with their mother in NYC.

Moroccan cannon

Moroccan was born second to Mariah and Cannon in April 2011. Like his sister, Moroccan’s initials are “MC”, which is also the same as his mother’s. Moroccan’s nickname was inspired by the decorating style Mariah and Cannon had in their NYC apartment where Cannon proposed to him. He is called “Roc”.

“I can’t believe 13 years ago I was blessed with the greatest gift of becoming a father!!” Cannon wrote via Instagram in April 2024 on the twins’ birthday. “God has truly had His hand in the lives of two of the most loving, kind, intelligent, and balanced human beings I have ever met!”