Mariah Carey is under psychiatric care following last week’s hospitalization, which her publicist now says was the result of an “emotional and physical breakdown.” As previously reported, the 31-year-old singer — who has canceled all public appearances including her headlining appearance at MTV 20th birthday party tonight (Aug. 1) — checked herself into an undisclosed hospital last week. At the time, her spokesperson said Carey was suffering from “extreme exhaustion.”
But today, the spokesperson told The Associated Press: “She has suffered an emotional and physical breakdown … she is under psychiatric care.” The spokesperson denied tabloid reports that Carey tried to commit suicide, saying that just before the breakdown, Carey suffered cuts to her body, but the injuries were unintentional. “She did break some dishes and glasses, and she may have stepped on them,” the spokesperson said.
Carey’s breakdown comes at perhaps the most critical point in her 11-year career. The singer signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records in April after leaving Columbia Records, where she got her start. She’ll star in a movie for the first time when “Glitter,” about an aspiring pop star, opens later this month. She also performed the songs for the movie soundtrack of the same name.
But it’s doubtful Carey will be able to promote either project. The spokesperson could not say when Carey might be released. “I’m taking it one day at a time, but right now she is resting and improving,” the spokesperson said.
Just before her hospitalization, Carey left two despondent messages on her official Web site, complaining in one of being overworked. She said she wanted to close her management company and take a break, but the spokesperson said nothing has changed and her management remains the same.
Last month, Carey made a surreal impromptu appearance on MTV’s “Total Request Live,” dressed in little more than a lavender T-shirt and pushing an ice cream cart filled with popsicles for the teen audience. She also made a publicity appearance at a Long Island mall, where her publicist took a microphone away from her to prevent her from speaking.
Carey, who is divorced from Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola, had been dating Latin singer Luis Miguel. Her spokesperson said Miguel had not visited Carey in the hospital, but he has called her manager to express concern, and that the two had not “officially broken up.”
Carey’s current single, “Loverboy,” had been languishing on the charts because of disappointing radio airplay. Once Virgin released a commercial single priced at 49 cents, sales propelled it to the No. 2 position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
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