Mariah Carey is without a doubt one of the most successful artists in music history! With over 30 years in the industry, 200 million albums sold, 19 number one hits, and record-breaking singles that have transformed the music industry as we know it, Mariah is simply the best!
While she has received a tremendous amount of success in her career, it appears as if Mariah has not always had that much luck in her personal life. The singer has revealed throughout her career that her upbringing wasn't the easiest, however, what many fans don't know is that the star has had quite a difficult journey with her sister, Allison Carey. In addition to a number of marriages gone awry, Mariah has endured quite a lot when it comes to her siblings. Here is everything we know about Mariah's relationship with her sister!
Carey Family Drama
While Mariah Carey has been busy being one of the most successful singers in the music industry, she's been dealing with quite a lot when it comes to her personal life. Mariah did not have that great of an upbringing, which has been expressed throughout many of Mimi's songs and has seriously "wounded" the singer. The star grew up with her sister, Allison, who is 8 years Mariah's senior, and brother Morgan, along with parents Patricia and Alfred. After Mariah's parents had separated, she had gone to live with her mother, while Allison went to live with her father.
It's no secret that Mariah and Allison grew up in two very different households, which is where things began to take a turn. Mimi and her siblings grew up in a biracial household, with their mother being white and their father being Black. Allison has spoken out about the upbringing of the two and how Mimi's experience was much different from hers. While times were tough for everyone, Mariah relied on her talent in order to provide herself with a better life, however, things didn't work out as well for Allison.
Allison Carey and Mariah's relationship has been strained since childhood, however, things took a turn when Allison turned to the media in order to discredit Mimi's success and label her as a monster. The issues these two have endured began way before Mariah was even famous! Allison became pregnant at 15 years old and dropped out of high school only a year later. Allison would then turn to the streets and drugs in order to make money, ultimately leading her down a path of self-destruction.
Considering Mimi and Allison had lived apart from one another, there wasn't much Mariah could have done for her sister at the time, considering she was still a child. Allison has spoken out about her feelings of resentment and jealousy towards her sister and how their upbringing led Mariah down a much easier path. By 20 years-old, Mariah Carey had landed herself a record deal and would soon become one of the best selling artists of all time.
During this time, Allison Carey had turned to prostitution in order to make money. "Nobody wanted to hire me", Allison said during a 1995 interview. So, she had to turn to sex work in order to make any money she could. Only a year later, Allison tested positive for HIV and has been living with the ailment ever since. While many fans believe Mariah should have stepped up and helped her sister, it appears things are much deeper than that.
Despite being worth $520 million, Mariah Carey has, in fact, helped her sister a number of times! The star has gone above and beyond in providing Allison Carey with treatments, medications, and rehab facilities, however, Allison finds herself turning back to drugs, alcohol, and sex work each time.
Things ultimately became too much for Mariah and cutting all contact with Allison was her last and final resort. It was for this reason that Mariah took Allison's son, Shawn McDonald, under her wing. Mariah paid for Shawn's schooling and has supported him for most of his life and despite her estranged relationship with Allison, Mariah considers Shawn an immediate member of her family and celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with him and her children every year.
Additionally, both Allison and Mariah's brother, Morgan, have turned to the media a handful of times to drag her name through the mud. While exclusives and tips can pay well, Mariah has always felt betrayed by her siblings for essentially selling her out. Mariah has alluded to the fact that her strained relationship and traumatic upbringing ultimately led to her developing bipolar disorder, which the singer revealed back in 2018. While there is much more to the story than meets the eye, we can only hope that all members involved, including Mariah, Allison, and Morgan Carey, can all find peace.
