Mariah Carey's Life in Pictures

Mariah Carey's Early Years

Mariah Carey was born in Huntington, New York, to parents Alfred Roy and Patricia Carey. The couple divorced when Mariah was 3 years old.

Mariah Carey's Early Success

The singer released her debut album, Mariah Carey, in 1990. It went on to become the best-selling album in the U.S. and earned her the best female pop vocal performance and new artist gramophones at the 1991 Grammy Awards.

Mariah Carey and Tommy Mottola

Mariah wed Sony Music head Tommy Mottola on June 5, 1993, when she was 23 and he was 43. However, the pair divorced after four years of marriage and she has publicly stated many times that their relationship was turbulent due to his allegedly controlling nature.

'All I Want for Christmas'

Mariah became the undisputed queen of Christmas in 1994 when she released her holiday album, Merry Christmas, which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling Christmas album of all time thanks to its iconic single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Mariah Carey in 'Glitter' and More

After a role in 1999's The Bachelor, Mariah landed arguably her biggest movie credit to date in 2001's Glitter which was considered a major flop, grossing just over $2 million at the box office. However, she's gone on to star in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire (2009) and The Butler (2013).

Mariah Carey's Hardships

Mariah was promoting Glitter on Total Request Live in 2001 when she suffered a breakdown and was hospitalized. Her publicist at the time described the incident as "an emotional and physical breakdown."

Mariah Carey as The Elusive Chanteuse

The Emancipation of Mimi marked a definitive shift for Mariah as her decade-long pop dominance had waned — but not for long. The album's second single, "We Belong Together," is one of her most popular and successful songs to date.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

After meeting in 2005, Mariah and Nick Cannon started dating in March 2008 but shocked everyone weeks later when they wed in a sunset, ocean-side ceremony April 30 at her Bahamian estate. For their fifth anniversary in May 2013, they renewed their vows at Disneyland.

Mariah Carey and 'Dem Babies'

On their third wedding anniversary, Mariah and Nick welcomed twins, daughter Monroe and son Moroccan, after she underwent fertility treatments to try to get pregnant after experiencing a miscarriage.

Mariah Carey on 'American Idol'

Mariah was added to the Fox series as the replacement for Jennifer Lopez on season 12 in 2012, joining Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban on the judges' panel. Her season-long gig was much-talked-about due to her feud with Minaj — complete with f-bombs and a reported gun threat.

Mariah Carey Heads to Vegas

Mariah joined the ranks of Céline Dion, Cher and Britney Spears in January 2015 when she announced her Las Vegas residency, Mariah #1 to Infinity, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The 50-show series kicked off on May 6, 2015, and concluded on July 18, 2017.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Divorce

Nick filed for divorce from Mariah on Dec 12, 2014, in New York after six years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in November 2016 following a contentious separation.

Mariah Carey and James Packer

Mariah made her relationship with billionaire James Packer public for the first time in June 2015, nearly a year after producer Brett Ratner introduced the pair. Then on Jan. 21, 2016, Packer proposed in her hometown with a massive 35-carat ring worth $10 million. They called off their engagement in October 2016.

Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka

After calling it quits with fiancé Packer, Mariah began dating choreographer Bryan Tanaka, who is 10 years her junior. At the time, it was believed that Packer was concerned about her closeness to Tanaka prior to the end of their engagement. Mariah confirmed they were official in February 2017. They briefly split that April but were back together a month later, though called it quits for good in late 2023.

Mariah Carey on New Year's Eve

Mariah closed out 2016 on a sour note when her live broadcast of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest was plagued by sound problems and technical difficulties. A year later, Mariah was redeemed when her 2017 performance on the same NYE show went off without a hitch — though she lamented the lack of hot tea onstage.

Mariah Carey Becomes an Icon

On May 1, 2019, Carey was honored with the prestigious icon award at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The R&B legend took the stage to perform a medley of hits — including "A No No," "Always Be My Baby," "Emotions," "We Belong Together" and "Hero" — before Jennifer Hudson presented her with her award. In her emotional acceptance speech, Carey thanked her fans, as well as her kids, 8-year-old twins Moroccon and Monroe, wishing them a happy birthday.

"Thank you so much for this gorgeous award … I'm so nervous. Thank you, Billboard, for letting me grow up on the charts with you and for this incredible honor," Carey said. "Icon? I really don't think of myself in that way. I started making music out of a necessity to survive and to express myself and I just wanted to create something so I could feel worthy of existing, and if I've learned anything — anything at all in this life — it's that truly all things are possible with God."

'Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special'

The COVID-19 pandemic wasn't going to get her down! In December 2020, Carey brought together famous friends including Ariana Grande (pictured), Jennifer Hudson and Tiffany Haddish for the Apple TV+ event, Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special. Even sweeter? She released a line of cookies that month, as well.

Mariah Carey's Children's Book

The Christmas Queen brought her good cheer to many platforms in 2021, dropping a single "Fall in Love at Christmas" to accompany her Apple TV+ special Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues. Her "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became the first holiday single to ever receive the RIAA Diamond Award, and she released a holiday kids' book, The Christmas Princess.