Mariah Carey is finally addressing the romance rumors that have been swirling around her and Anderson .Paak. In an appearance on "CBS Mornings," Carey discussed her upcoming record and some of the developments that have taken place in her private and personal life.
While speaking to the show's co-host Gayle King, Carey playfully answered some questions about her relationship with .Paak, one that began as a musical collaboration that she pursued. "I reached out to him" said Careh. "He's brilliant. He's a really great artist."
Last Christmas, some photos came out showing Carey and .Paak holding hands, something that King also broached, prompting a hilarious and appropriately mysterious Carey response. “He just likes to hold my hand. He just grabs my hand. I don't know what he's doing," she said.
"He's a handholding club. That's what it is."
When probed further, Carey relented a bit and said, "Hmm, well, they better know that it's something special.”
She also opened up about the Christmas they spent together. “There's a hot tub there. It was nice," she said.
Carey's emotional past year
Through the interview, Carey also addressed more serious matters, like her relationship with her late mother and sister, who tragically passed on the same day. Carey had complicated relationships with both women, making the grieving process all the more complex.
“I don't know how I processed it, I just know that it was extremely difficult for me to navigate and it was tough because I have always had an interesting relationship with my mother," she said. “It hasn't been easy, but towards the end, I was with her the whole time.”
In the past, Carey has opened up about her relationship with her sister, sharing that it was at times abusive, detailing some terrifying episodes on her memoir, ""The Meaning of Mariah Carey." In her interview with Gayle, Carey shared some of the complex feelings that arose shortly after her death.
"And my sister, I hadn't seen in years, and I feel really badly about that as well, but that's ‘cause I tend to have a guilt complex about everything, but it's tough. My sister had an extremely hard life," she said.