What We Know About Mariah Carey's Parents: Inside Her Family Drama

Even though Mariah Carey's parents had a troubled marriage, they tried their best to make their union work. Their efforts bore no fruit as Mariah Carey's grandmother kept meddling in their relationship. But her mom was present for most of her childhood.

The legendary singer Mariah Carey rose to fame in the 1990s after releasing her debut album, "Mariah Carey." She began performing at the age of 18 and, soon after, got lucrative deals. With over 32 years in the music industry, she has won many accolades, including Grammy and Billboard music awards.

Even though Mariah has had a successful music career and is admired by many, getting to that point wasn't a smooth ride. The renowned singer had a troubled upbringing that made her who she is today.

Mariah was born in 1970 in Huntington, New York. She is the last daughter of Alfred Roy Carey and Patricia Hickey. Having lived in the public limelight for most of her life, many of her fans didn't know details about her personal life.

But in her biography, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," released in 2020, the RnB singer got candid about her childhood, the challenges she faced as a kid, and growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Mariah's Mom Was an Opera Singer

Mariah followed in her mother's footsteps and began singing at the tender age of three. Mariah's mom, Patricia, was an opera singer and vocal coach. She attended the famous Juilliard School, a private performing arts conservatory in New York City.

Even though Mariah is among the greatest singers of all time, and many people appreciate the impact she's made in the music industry, her mother seemed not too happy with her milestones.

As reported by Entertainment Tonight, the singer disclosed in her memoir that despite her mother introducing her to music, she got envious of her success. Mariah recalled how her mother told her she hoped Mariah would be half the singer she was.

The 52-year-old revealed that the sentiments affected her for most of her life. Through such experiences, she learned how to parent her children differently by acknowledging their talents and supporting and loving them unconditionally.

Mariah Had Little Contact with Her Dad after Her Parents' Divorce

Mariah's father, Alfred, was an African-American and Afro-Venezuelan. Alfred's career was miles away from the entertainment industry; he worked as an aeronautical engineer.

In a section of her book, the celebrated singer[Mariah] shared a sensitive story about how she almost drowned on the beach when she was seven years old.

Back then, when cases of racism were rampant, Alfred's father changed his last name from Nuñez to Carey to sound more American/Eurocentric. It was common for many immigrants — it helped them cope with discrimination.

But still, that wasn't enough, as he encountered a lot of hostility when he married Patricia, who was of Irish descent. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mariah's mom recalled how she and Alfred encountered a lot of judgment and hatred while living together as an interracial couple.

She gave an example of an incident where they became victims of targeted gun violence. Because of many external forces that affected their marriage, Mariah Carey's parents finally called it quits when she was three.

In Mariah's biography, she said they would get strange glances from people whenever she was with her father. The RnB singer recalled facing a lot of discrimination as a young blonde girl and that many people felt disgusted when she was in her father's company.

Through that awful experience, the Grammy award winner stated that she got the drive to become successful so that she would feel accepted.

Mariah was raised predominantly by her mother after the separation, while the rest of her older siblings, Morgan and Alison, went to live with her father. Even after her parents divorced, Mariah was in touch with her father for a while. Unfortunately, he didn't witness most of her success, as he passed on in 2002.

Her Parents Had a Difficult Marriage Due to Her Grandmother's Views

Even though Mariah's parents tried their level best to make their marriage work, Patricia's mother was against her daughter marrying a black man or even having kids. The singer states in her memoir that her maternal grandmother saw the marriage as an abomination and humiliation.

Mariah said that her grandmother condemned her parents' marriage and saw it as a betrayal of her white race. According to her grandmother, Patricia had committed a serious crime that was punishable by ex-communication—she went to the extent of disowning her.

In her biography, the singer revealed sensitive information about how her grandmother hated her and her siblings and said hateful things about their father's race.

While the singer finds it difficult to understand why a parent would reject their own child, she questions her mom's intentions for marrying her father. Mariah's mother, a trained opera singer, gave up her promising career to start a family—something Mariah swore not to follow.

Mariah Carey faced many obstacles and challenges while growing up with her mother. In her memoir, she confessed that she still desires a mother like the ones she saw on TV as a kid—a genuine mother that would be interested in her well-being before asking for favors or handouts.

Regardless, the celebrated singer still struggles to understand why her very own mother never showed her love or affection. In one section of her book, she spilled the beans about how she almost drowned on the beach when she was seven years old. What pained her most was that her mother seemed unbothered despite her crying for help.