Mariah Carey Addresses Diva Allegations, Shares Why Christmas Is So Important to Her

Mariah Carey isn't shying away from being called a "diva." 

In a new interview with W Magazine, Carey opened up about the label, and admitted that she'll sometimes "play into" the part, though the moniker has come with its fair share of negative connotations over the years.

"There are things people are not aware of, because this whole quote-unquote 'diva' thing is always what people see first," Carey, the mag's holiday issue cover star, said. "Yes, I play into it. And yes, part of that is real. I can’t help it. Like, what do you do if you grew up with an opera singer for a mother, who went to Juilliard and made her debut at Lincoln Center?" 

She added, "There’s just a certain amount that is going to emerge. So, yes, it’s just an affectation, and sometimes it’s purposely done, and sometimes it’s just, like, you know, a response."

Diva is not the only title Carey has been crowned with, she's also known as the Queen of Christmas. As for how she celebrates, the 52-year-old popstar, who kicked off the holiday alongside her twins, Moroccan and Monroe with a performance at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, said she creates her own "Christmas moment."

"I create my own Christmas moment," Carey shared. "I mean, Santa Claus visits us. He comes with his reindeer. I am not exaggerating —this is the truth. By the way, before my kids were born, I did all the same types of things. That's just how it is with me and Santa and the reindeer."

While the start of the season is always marked by Carey's hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," the singer said her love of the holiday started long before the '90s hit -- and grew as a result of her "messed-up" life.

"Darling, look, I know a lot of the time people are like, 'Oh, yay! Look at her! She’s, like, so festive and such a Christmas girl,' or whatever. But, really, Christmas makes me happy. People think I had this princess-style life or whatever, a kind of fairy-tale existence where I just emerged, like, 'Here I am!' And that is not what it is," she told the mag. "I doubt you have enough time to write about all that, so we won’t go into it. But when you grow up with a messed-up life and then you’re able to have this transformation where you can make your life what you want it to be? That is joy for me."

And because of that upbringing, Carey said she's determined to give her twins, who she shares with ex-husband, Nick Cannon, everything she can.

Carey continued, "That’s why I want my kids to have everything they can have. I want them to be able to understand that they can be anything they want to be."

But they won't be the only ones finding presents under the tree! Carey told the outlet that while Moroccan and Monroe often give her homemade gifts, the tooth fairy might be able to help them buy something special for mom this season.

"She's very generous, the tooth fairy, so I think they have enough saved up and accumulated that they could actually buy me something this year, which would be amazing," Carey said. "I love giving them gifts, because the act of opening up a ton of presents is something I wasn't able to do as a child." 

For more on the Christmas queen, check out the video below.

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