Mariah Carey Says She Was “Extremely Uncomfortable” During Her Infamous ‘Ellen’ Interview
"I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage."
As part of a cover story with NY Mag, Mariah Carey has revealed that she was “extremely uncomfortable” with a 2008 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres show where Ellen pressured the singer to reveal she was pregnant.
The interview was one of many that resurfaced earlier this year showing questionable moments on the show in light of rumours of mistreatment off-camera on Ellen.
They were later followed by allegations of a toxic and racist workplace environment from current and ex-staff via a BuzzFeed News report. This resulted in several senior management either resigning or being let go.
In the interview with Carey from 2008, DeGeneres asks the singer about pregnancy rumours. When she denies it, DeGeneres reveals two flutes and fills them with champagne as a way to bluff Carey into revealing her pregnancy.
“People are saying you’re pregnant. There’s rumours,” Ellen said. “Let’s toast to you not being pregnant if you’re not pregnant.”
“Don’t discuss that,” Mariah tried to laugh off before forcing a sip of champagne. “This is peer pressure.”
Carey was in fact pregnant at the time, and, according to NY Mag, “soon after” the interview had a miscarriage. When asked about the moment, as part of a broader line of questions on the way she’s been treated by the media, Carey says that while she doesn’t want to ‘throw’ DeGeneres ‘under any proverbial bus’, she “didn’t enjoy that moment.”
“I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say. And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath,” she says. “I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage. I don’t want to throw anyone that’s already being thrown under any proverbial bus, but I didn’t enjoy that moment.”
She later adds that she wishes the show has been more considerate.
“[There’s] an empathy that can be applied to those moments that I would have liked to have been implemented,” she says. “But what am I supposed to do? It’s like, [sings] ‘What are you going to do?’ ”
NY Mag‘s feature with Carey dives into her 30-year-long career, and snippets from her upcoming memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey. Read the feature over on Vulture.