Nick Cannon has an update for the fans who’ve had Mariah Carey in their thoughts these past few weeks.
In an interview with Page Six published Wednesday (Sept. 18), the Masked Singer host revealed that the vocalist — to whom he was previously married for eight years — is hanging in there following the same-day deaths of her mom and sister in August.
“She’s doing the best that she possibly can, considering the circumstances,” Cannon told the publication. “But as a family, we just got to be there to support one another, show love.”
Carey personally confirmed the passings of her mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison — ages 87 and 63, respectively — in a statement shared with Billboard on Aug. 26. “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend,” she said at the time. “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.”
In the weeks since, Cannon says that the “Obsessed” singer has been drawing strength from their son and daughter, 13-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe. “She’s really having a great time with the kids,” said the Drumline actor. “That is, you know, the most important thing in the world to her, so it’s outstanding to see them supporting their mom the way they do.”
Carey has also been keeping busy since the tragedies, with the star sharing recently that she was “back at work” rehearsing for her shows in Brazil and China following a short social media break. “It’s been a couple of rough weeks, but I appreciate everyone’s love and support so much,” she added in a Sept. 8 Instagram post.
While in Beijing, it also looked like the five-time Grammy winner got to do some exploring with Dem Babies. Sharing photos with her kids atop the Great Wall of China, Carey wrote on Instagram Sept. 14, “It really is great! 🦋”
In the past, Carey has been open about the complex nature of her relationships with both women, with the musician writing in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, that she had to distance herself from her mom and sibling for her own “sanity and peace of mind.”
“My mother became Pat to me … and Alison my ex-sister,” she added in the book. “I had to stop expecting them to one day miraculously become the mommy, big brother and big sister I fantasized about.”