Not holding back! James Packer broke his silence about his relationship with Mariah Carey in an interview with the Weekend Australia magazine. The billionaire businessman, 50, spoke candidly about his thoughts on his romance with the “Hero” singer and how he manages to stay friends with his ex-wives.
“I was at a low point in my personal life,” Packer said about Carey in the interview published Friday, October 20. “She was kind, exciting and fun. Mariah is a woman of substance. But it was a mistake for her and a mistake for me.”
Carey and Packer began dating in 2015 and went their separate ways in October 2016 after calling off their nine-month engagement. Packer reportedly ended things with Carey while they were vacationing in Greece, as their wedding plans were already underway. A source told Us Weekly at the time that the “We Belong Together” songstress was “blindsided” by the reports from an Australian publication that he had dumped her.
“Mariah was totally blindsided by James. She read the news in Woman’s Day Australia that said he dumped her,” the insider told Us. “Mariah knew they were having problems, but all relationships have issues — it wasn’t the kind of thing where she thought she’d read in the paper that she got dumped. She was devastated; she was shocked.”
The five-time Grammy winner’s rep confirmed the split to Entertainment Tonight at the time in a statement that read, ”Mariah and James had a fight in Greece, and have not seen each other since. The fight was not because of any cheating allegations or excessive spending by Mariah. James is one of the most successful businessmen in the world. They are trying to work it out. Right now, they’re not sure if they will stay together.”
Although the pop diva and the businessman’s relationship did not end amicably, Packer told the publication that he does have a friendship with his exes Jodhi Meares and Erica Packer. “I get on exceptionally well with my two ex-wives,” the Australian billionaire said, adding that he still regrets losing the mother of his three children — Indigo, 9, Emmanuelle, 5, and Jackson, 7. “It is my biggest regret that I let my marriage to Erica fail. It is what it is and she is doing an incredible job with the kids and we are in a great place.”
Carey shares twins Moroccan and Monroe, 6, with ex-husband Nick Cannon. And prior to the TV host, Carey was married to music executive Tommy Mottola for five years.