Wednesday 24 November 1999

My marriage was unhealthy for me

Mariah Carey has won one more title: she's the first artist who has at least one number 1 single for every year of the decade. In this interview the sexy star talks enthousias-tically about her new album, her place in the nineties, how rich she feels and much more.

Are you afraid that your divorce will affect your career?

Mariah: I think that my relationship with Tommy Mottola has affected, still affects and will further affect my career. It is a fact that my relationship with the boss of a big, multinational company, who was many years my senior, caused controversial comments. The truth is I needed alot of courage to get out of this relationship and bring my marriage to an end, which in the end had become unhealthy for me.

Would you advice your daughter not to marry a man older than her?

Mariah: I don't know. If I had kids I'd wanna be sure that everything would go well, that I wouldn't do anything wrong. I know it's impossible for me to be perfect, but I'd like to create the nicest environment possible for my kids - although no kid is absolutely satisfied by its parents.

Your fans consider you a heroine. What do you believe of that?

Mariah: I don't feel like a heroine. All I know is that my fans are very dedicated to me and they know that anything that comes out about me - and there's alot of stuff - is just rumours.

What's the worst story that has been made up about you?

Mariah: On the Internet, increadible lies are made up. The other day I heard about a story concerning me and Lauryen Hill, which made me extremly angry. According to that story, which sounded very real, me and Lauryen were supposed to do a duet on a song called "Crystal Ball", but I dumped her in the studio because of a fight between us! Of course none of this happened. I think that Lauryen is one of the best singers in the last ten years and I would never treat her like that.

Do you think that lies like that can ruin an artist career?

Mariah: I don't think that it can hurt me. The Internet has its pros and cons. My real fans know the truth. At this moment I thank God that my single made the biggest sales ever throughout my whole career!

Do you surf the web?

Mariah: No, I don't have the time. I don't even have time to sleep!"

What happened between you and Cameron Diaz? Is it true that you challenged her after she talked meanly about you in a magazine?

Mariah: She made some comments on me, Whitney Houston and Courtney Love, which is okay because everyone has a right to express ones personal taste, but she went too far. Since you don't know what's true and what's not and since I am who I am, I like to clear things up with dialogue, not with violence. So I met with Cameron, we talked about it and everything ended alright. I'm a straight person, I do my job and there's no need to cause rows.

In the video of Heartbreaker you play two different characters...

Mariah: This video was an exhausting experience! The story is about my boyfriend who is cheating on me with this girl, Bianca, a girl who takes good care of herself, her clothes etc and she's practically the exact opposite to me. In the scenes where we use karate, because I was playing both characters, I had to do all these moves fourteen times. The director kept shouting at me "Do this, do that, swing more!" and I was objecting "I'm not a stunt!" But in the end of the video, they gave me a stunt degree, so now I am a stunt degree-holder! (Laughs)

So now you're dangerous?

Mariah: Yeah, I have my sweaty t-shirt and the degree to prove it! (laughs) But seriously, the profession of a stunt is one of the most dangerous!

Is there another version of the video for the remix?

Mariah: Yes, there is a version with Missy Elliott and Da Brat and me and Bianca fighting in jello. But I wasn't as good as I hoped and my double helped me learn the moves. All that time in the jello wasn't exactly the best thing that can happen to you. I did stuff that other girls wouldn't have done, I even hurt my leg during the fight, but the only thing that matters is that we made the video!

Which famous people do you hang out with?

Mariah: With Missy Elliot and Da Brat, who is one of my best friends, although we don't meet often becaue of our business commitments. She is a very loyal friend.

Do you have time to enjoy your money?

Mariah: You know what? It might sound crazy but everytime someone asks me that question, I think of the time when I was little. When we had no money, my mother and I moved thirteen times and sometimes we stayed over at friends, because we didn't have a home. At seventeen I was living alone and I had five dollars to make it throught the week. I always have the sense that, no matter how many albums I sell, someday it will be all over. I don't feel that certainty, like other artists. Some people will go out and buy 5 Rolls Royce cars, I only bought an appartement and a limo, which breaks down all the time and I don't know why! I like enjoying my money by taking trips and giving gifts to the people I love. For example, I bought my mother a house.

How much money do you give to all those people who work for you?

Mariah: When I first started out I was giving 50% of my income to my producer. Then it went down to 40%, then to 30% and last year it went down to 20%. I'm not saying that I'm gonna go broke, but I don't feel wealthy. I know that I am blessed and lucky to have so much money, but inside me there is this insecure little girl who lives in a miserable home and has no clothes to dress up right.

Which are the elements that put you in the road fame?

Mariah: The first thing was my faith and my mothers faith in me. I was looking at my mother and the way of life that she showed me and I was thinking that she could have become a big star, but she dedicated herself to her family. My brother helped me a lot by introducing me to people saying that his little sister could sing. When I first came out I was very shy and ungraceful because until then I didn't belong in the show-biz, my whole experience was in the studio. The definite night that changed my career and my life was when I met Tommy Mottola at a party. He listened to my tape and that was it! Fancy not having gone to that party!

(Popcorn)



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