When Andy Cohen asked Mariah Carey about Madonna, Carey said she respected what Madonna had achieved as an artist. The answer was complimentary, not a sharp comeback: “Honestly… I really respect what she’s done as an artist with her career.”
What did Mariah Carey say about Madonna?
In an exchange reported by Madonnarama on June 21, 2016, Andy Cohen asked Carey whether she and Madonna had a relationship, noting that they had been at the top of the charts at the same time. Carey replied: “Honestly… I really respect what she’s done as an artist with her career. I look at that as that is her doing and I think that that’s great.” Madonnarama reported the exchange.
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The headline’s “epic response” is a characterization, not a description established by the quote. Carey’s reported words are measured and respectful; they do not insult Madonna or amount to a dramatic clapback.
What were the earlier reported remarks?
A 2008 San Antonio Current retrospective recalls a mid-1990s remark attributed to Madonna about not wanting to sing easy-listening ballads like Carey. The retrospective paraphrases it as Madonna saying she would probably put a gun to her head if she had to sing them. Because the retrospective does not identify the original interview’s exact date or publication, that wording should be treated as its account, not as a verified verbatim quote. The San Antonio Current recounts the remarks.
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The same retrospective says Carey once responded that she had not paid attention to Madonna since seventh or eighth grade, “when she used to be popular.” Those reported barbs provide context, but the available accounts establish interview remarks rather than a confirmed direct confrontation between the two artists.
Did Mariah Carey later say she had never spoken to Madonna?
Yes. In a separate Watch What Happens Live segment later in 2016, Carey answered a question about whether she knew Madonna by saying, “Never had a conversation with her.” TIME and the Los Angeles Times reported the exchange in December 2016. TIME covered the comment, and the Los Angeles Times reported it as well.
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This was a separate answer from Carey’s earlier statement respecting Madonna’s career. The two comments should not be combined into one exchange or treated as proof that Carey retracted or confirmed any earlier remark.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Carey dissing Madonna back?
The reported record supports a more limited conclusion: retrospective coverage recounts earlier barbs, while Carey’s reported 2016 answer about Madonna’s career was diplomatic. The sources do not establish a verified, direct exchange between the women, so describing her career-respect answer as a diss would go beyond the quoted words.
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