Mariah Carey's mother and sister die on same day

Singer Mariah Carey has asked for privacy after her mother and sister died on the same day over the weekend, she confirmed in a statement.

The singer said: "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.”

Carey's mother Patricia, 87, was an opera singer and vocal coach and is said to have had a complicated relationship with her daughter.

Despite criticism from her mother growing up, Carey said she credited her mother for exposing her to music and said: "I will love you the best I can, always” in her dedication to her mother.

Carey's older sister, Alison, also had a complicated relationship with the star, having sued her for $1.2 million over the "vindictive" release of Carey's autobiography. 

The cause of the deaths was not given in Carey's statement.