Mariah Carey Admits She's A Diva: 'I Have Had Diva Moments, And Then People Can't Handle It'

Mariah Carey‘s latest interview is a little revealing.

The singer went topless for Paper magazine and opened up about her diva behavior.

Carey, who just wrapped up a Las Vegas residency, revealed that the things you’ve heard about her diva behavior aren’t quite true. 

“I have had diva moments, and then people can’t handle it,” the singer said. “I guess it’s a little intense because I come from a true diva.”

Carey shared that her mother, a former opera singer, was a true diva, a ”Juilliard diva.” So, when people call her a diva, the singer shrugs it off.  ”It’s like, ‘Honey, you don’t know what a diva is, you didn’t grow up with my mom.’ [Laughs] And I mean it as a compliment, or I wouldn’t be the person I am without experiencing that. ”

“So when people hear me say, like, ‘Dahling da da da da’ and talk that way, it’s kinda like I’m channeling my mother. Not that she says ‘dahling’ all the time, but like that voice is… it’s like I inadvertently do it, and I don’t do it to be disrespectful, I just do it and it just happens and it’s like, [in diva voice] ‘I don’t even know why.’ “

The ”One Sweet Day” singer also revealed that despite her diva vibe, she has been starstruck. “There’s always people who I admire and when I see them [I get starstruck]. “

“The last time I saw Prince, he came to my dressing room. I had said I wanted to go visit him to say hello because we’ve met before.When he was living we had had lots of conversations, and he helped me through certain moments that were not easy. I don’t want to get too depressing, but I was having a conversation with Prince and then I looked around the room and I noticed that everyone in the room was looking up and staring like they couldn’t believe he was standing there. But I would always be a little bit starstruck [when] I [saw] Michael Jackson as well.”

Carey announced back in April that she was launching her own label, Butterfly MC, in partnership with Epic. She’s also working on a soundtrack single for the upcoming film, The Star. The singer is set to return to Vegas in December.