She literally entered in the scene in 1989, and Mariah Carey is still considered to be pop's queen, even by today's standards. Her vocal range and diva reputation are just part of a charming package.
Over the course of her career, Mariah Carey's been married twice, had an affair with Derek Jeter, gotten engaged to an Australian billionaire, partnered up with Nick Cannon, and given birth to twins.
Oh, and she's been churning out hits (and Christmas specials) throughout the years, too.
Of course, Mariah has recently opened up, penning a memoir about her life. According to Cosmopolitan, that's where many fans first heard about her fling with Derek Jeter, including some sordid details that fans really didn't wanna know. For example, Mariah calls "DJ" a love in her life, not a love of her life... Whatever that means.
But there's more to know about the star's life than what's inside the pages of her autobiography.
Fans already know there's an ongoing feud between Mariah Carey and her estranged sister. They also learned the real reason why Mariah chose not to help her homeless sister.
But what about the ladies' parents?
In discussing her memoir and family strife with Oprah, Mariah explained how tough it was growing up with only her mom around. Her mom, who is of Irish descent, had three kids with Mariah's dad, who was African-American and Afro-Venezuelan.
Mariah's mom, a former opera singer, was actually disowned for marrying someone who wasn't white, however. The couple later divorced. Sadly, Alfred Carey, Mariah's father, passed away in 2002.
Patricia, Mariah's mom, is still alive, though she's in her 80s now.
And Mariah admits in her book that she experienced "significant neglect" as a child. As People confirms, Mariah's road to forming a healthy relationship with her mom has been rocky. In her memoir, Mariah wrote:
"Ours is a story of betrayal and beauty. Of love and abandonment. Of sacrifice and survival. I've emancipated myself from bondage several times, but there is a cloud of sadness that I suspect will always hang over me, not simply because of my mother but because of our complicated journey together."
She elaborates that having people who are supposed to love you be jealous of you changes the family dynamic. Now, she thinks of her siblings as "exes" and her mother as just "Pat," says Mariah, highlighting how their relationship has deteriorated.
In fact, Mariah's mom even cautioned her against marrying Nick Cannon because of his skin color. Clearly, Mariah has let go of so much of her hurtful past. But forgiving her mom might take some more time.
