Mariah Carey is speaking out after revealing in late August that her mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, died on the same day.
“Back at work,” the “Fly Like A Bird” singer said on Sunday, Sept. 8, in an Instagram post. “It’s been a couple of rough weeks.”
“I appreciate everyone’s love and support so much, and I can’t wait to see my fans in China and Brazil,” Carey, 55, added in a clip where she sings a slow, stripped-down version of her 2005 track “It’s Like That.” When the musician first shared the news of her family members’ deaths, she asked for privacy while processing the tragic events.
The Grammy winner is set to perform in China on September 15 and 16, followed by shows in Brazil on September 20 and 22. She uploaded another video of herself singing her tune “I Wish You Knew,” captioning the post, “I Wish You Knew, dedicated to my fans in China and Brazil! See you soon.”
On Aug. 26, Carey addressed the deaths in a statement: “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.”
“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” she added. “I appreciate everyone’s love, support, and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
Over the years, the “Always Be My Baby” singer has been candid about her strained relationships with her mother—who was a Juilliard-trained opera singer and vocal coach—and her sister Alison. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she wrote that her relationship with her mother “has caused me so much pain and confusion.”
“For my sanity and peace of mind, my therapist encouraged me to literally rename and reframe my family,” she wrote. “My mother became Pat to me, Morgan my ex-brother, and Alison my ex-sister… I had to stop expecting them to one day miraculously become the mommy, big brother, and big sister I fantasized about.”
David Baker, a patient advocate who knew Alison personally, told PEOPLE that Alison—a mother of four—was “a highly intelligent, very sensitive person,” but added, “We saw it coming, but it’s still a shock. She got ill fairly quickly, and a month later, she’s gone.”
Carey’s brother, Morgan, also told the outlet in a statement after his mother and sister’s deaths: “I’m praying for them and hope they are finally at peace. We were five, and now we are two.”
