Mariah Carey’s Sister Alison ‘Had a Tough Life,’ Friend Reveals

Mariah Carey’s sister Alison Carey faced numerous struggles throughout her life but managed to spend time with her children before she passed away on 24th August, according to her friend and advocate, David Baker.

Baker, who had known Alison for nine years, describes her life as challenging. He reveals that while Alison’s decline was expected, her death still came as a shock. “She got ill fairly quickly and was gone a month later,” Baker tells PEOPLE.

Baker had shared on X that Alison had entered hospice care. He was instrumental in helping her find her final apartment in Coxsackie, New York, where she lived for the last three years. Although there were discussions about moving her to a nursing home, Baker’s assistance allowed her to stay in her own home until the end. “She got her wish,” Baker notes. “She died in her own home.”

Image Courtesy: People

Alison, who had four children—three sons and a daughter—was visited by her family shortly before her death. Her daughter, who lives nearby, had been a frequent visitor. However, Alison had lost touch with her famous sister Mariah Carey, with whom she last had contact either in 1994 or 2002. 

Mariah had described their relationship in her memoir as one where it was safer emotionally and physically not to maintain contact with Alison or their brother Morgan.

Image Courtesy: People

Alison was also unaware that her mother Patricia passed away on the same day. Baker first met Alison in 2015 after a serious brain injury she sustained during a home invasion. He became a close friend over the years, often visiting or speaking with her daily. 

PEOPLE confirmed that both Patricia and Alison Carey died on the same day. Mariah Carey expressed her heartbreak in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, acknowledging the tragic coincidence and appreciating the support and privacy during this difficult time.

–Farheen Ali