Top 10 Most Diva Mariah Carey Moments
#10: She Won’t Let Her Backup Singers Outshine Her
Mariah Carey is the owner of one of the most famous voices in the music industry. Though claims that her squeakiest high note is on par with that of a dolphin are greatly exaggerated, Mariah’s vocal range is still impressive. She can even enter what’s known as the whistle register - a feat few other pop stars are able to achieve. And they better not try to, either. In 2008, Mariah appeared on “Good Morning America” to perform her 18th chart topping song, “Touch My Body.” Things became very awkward when Mariah thought she was being sung over by one of her backup singers, reprimanding her with an audible: "Stop singing my part now, baby."
#9: She Never Celebrates Her Birthdays
Wait, a diva like Mariah Carey doesn’t do birthday parties? You might be thinking this is a rare moment of modesty for the iconic pop star. But, don’t give her that credit just yet. When asked questions about her age or birthday in interviews, the singer always dodges them or gives vague responses, like the one she gave to COMPLEX magazine. “I don’t have a birthday,” she said. “I was just dropped here. It was a fairyland experience.” Riiiight. But, seriously Mariah - what gives? The answer she revealed to OUT magazine is quintessential diva. She said "I don’t count years, but I definitely rebuke them - I have anniversaries, not birthdays, because I celebrate life, darling."
#8: She Claimed That She Was Pregnant for 47 Weeks
Not only is this a truly unbelievable claim, but the setting she did it in is equally strange. You might think that Mariah would save talking about her pregnancy for a magazine or talk show interview. But, no. Mariah made this not-so-factual claim during an appearance on the shopping channel, HSN. She was supposed to be promoting items from her fashion line, but seemed more interested in talking about her personal life and inventing words, like "camouflagian." While most pregnancies average 40 weeks, Mariah said that hers lasted for “literally” 47. Really, Mariah? That’s almost a whole year of being pregnant! Someone needs to remind her what “literally” means…
#7: She Has Strict Rules About How She’s Filmed and Lit
Mariah Carey is very particular about being on-screen, which to be honest, isn’t unusual for a star of her level. But, Mariah takes it to a whole other level. She’s appeared in numerous TV shows and films, and whether the format is a big Hollywood production or a low-budget reality series, she knows exactly how she wants to be seen. Some of her rules are weirdly specific, like not wanting to be seen in “fluorescent lighting without sunglasses.” For her appearance on HSN, she had no qualms about dictating to the camera crew, and took things a step further for a radio interview in 2014 where she brought a lighting crew of her own.
#6: She Doesn’t “Do” Buses or Stairs
You’re probably picking up by now that Mimi is prone to exaggeration. Like any diva worth her salt, Mariah is well above slumming it on public transport. She once stated: "I've already been on the bus; I don't need to go back on the bus." That’s fair enough for one of the most famous pop stars in the world. Avoiding buses is one thing, but avoiding stairs is an impressive feat - if we can believe it. Her tour riders have warned venues against making her use them since 2000. If that viral video of her being wheeled to a stage in 2016 is anything to go by, maybe she avoids walking now as well.
#5: She Kept a Room Dedicated to Her Fan Mail
In 2002, Mariah appeared on an episode of MTV’s “Cribs,” a show that took viewers on a tour of celebrity houses. For those who haven’t witnessed this iconic piece of pop culture history, the highlights of the episode include seeing Mariah’s Narnia-sized closet of clothes and shoes and stripping off to take a dip in her penthouse suite hot tub. The singer also took the cameras into a butterfly-themed guest bedroom that doubled as a shrine to her fan’s love for her, with fan mail collected in scrapbooks. As sweet as this is, it’s also a pretty diva move to leave love letters to yourself in full view of your guests.
#4: She Works Out in Stilettos and Fishnets
You’d have to see this one to believe it. And, thanks to Mariah’s Instagram account, we can do just that. In February 2017, while the rest of us were freezing in our big, winter coats, Mariah was heating up the gym with her choice of workout wear. Mimi posted several not-at-all candid snaps of herself exercising in a low-cut top, fishnets and a pair of Puma high heels. Her excuse? That her feet “repel” flat shoes. Her choice in footwear baffled the Internet but delighted their celebrity designer - Rihanna. Considering Mariah has ridden the subway and taken her kids to a play in ball gowns, maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised at this one.
#3: She Played One of Her Own Songs While Giving Birth
You’ve probably heard that some women have over the top birth plans, but once again, you haven’t heard anything until you’ve heard about Mariah Carey’s. When her then-husband Nick Cannon was interviewed on The Gayle King Show in 2011, he revealed that their newborn twins had quite the audio reception. He said Mariah “wanted to make sure that […] the babies […] came out not only to a Mariah Carey song, but a live performance from Mariah Carey “, specifically a live version of “Fantasy”. The baby girls’ birth allegedly coincided with a round of appaluse from the song’s audience, so at least they got a warm welcome.
#2: Her Ridiculous Tour Riders
The bigger a musical act gets, the more outrageous their tour rider becomes. For those not in the Biz, a tour rider is a list of things that an act expects a venue to provide them with. This can range from anything from food to their preferred temperature in their dressing room. The wildness of Mariah Carey’s tour riders has been speculated on for years. Various outlets have reported different versions including: 20 white kittens, 100 doves, 80 security guards, and butterfly-shaped confetti.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
She Won’t Enter Restaurants Unless Her Songs Are Playing
She Stormed Out of President Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony Because She Wasn’t Seated with Him
She Refused to Leave Her Limo to Enter a Hotel Until a Red Carpet Was Rolled Out
#1: She Claims She “Doesn’t Know” Jennifer Lopez
This might just be the best shade of all time. When asked her opinion about established star, Jennifer Lopez sometime in the '00s, Mariah claimed: "I don't know her." Do we really need to explain how absurd that is? Mimi has continued to claim she still "doesn't know" J-Lo, which has led to a lot of debate around whether she's pretending she hasn't heard of her because she doesn’t think she’s famous enough, or that Mariah hasn't met her, or that she has a really bad memory. The latter might be true, and J-Lo herself joked about it on “The Wendy Williams Show” in 2016 when the talk show host brought up their perceived feud.
