Just before Labor Day weekend, Mariah Carey was hit with a devastating family tragedy, when she happened to lose both her mother and her sister on the same day.
The 55-year-old songstress shared on August 26 that both her mother Patricia and older sister Alison had tragically died over that weekend. The former was 87 while the latter was 62.
For the first time since, however, she has returned to social media, sharing a glimpse into her recording studio as she rehearses for an upcoming slate of shows.
Mariah is scheduled to perform in China on September 15 and 16, followed by shows in Brazil on September 20 and 21 (as part of the Rock in Rio festivities), and she's already back to preparing for her international sojourn.
Her heartfelt message also touched upon the support she'd received from her fanbase and the difficult weeks she'd endured. "Back at work," she wrote.
"It's been a couple of rough weeks, but I appreciate everyone's love and support so much and I can't wait to see my fans in China & Brazil. Love you!"
Fans welcomed her back with open arms and showed their support for the star. "WE LOVE YOU MARIAH! I'm so glad you're taking care of yourself during this time," one wrote, with another saying: "So happy to see you back at work, you deserve our support always," and a third adding: "How I wish you only knewwwwww… how the lambily feels for you, Queen!"
People shared a statement from Mariah on the deaths in her family. "My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day," she told the publication.
© Getty Images"I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed," she continued. "I appreciate everyone's love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."
Patricia and her ex-husband Alfred Carey welcomed three children — Mariah, Alison, and their older brother Morgan. Her relationship with her family was complicated, though. After her parents divorced when she was just three, she stayed with her mother, as did her brother, while her sister moved in with her father, and she had little contact with Alfred after.
© Getty ImagesShe has spoken in the past about her difficult relationship with her mother, who was also a singer. Mariah wrote in her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey: "Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It's never been only black-and-white — it's been a whole rainbow of emotions."
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© MEGAMariah added: "Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment. A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother's." Her relationship with her sister remained more private, although she's spoken in the past about their tense childhood dynamic.
