Does Mariah Carey have any health issues? Fans are concerned over her "stiff" performance at VMAs 2025

Mariah Carey received her first MTV VMA on Sunday, September 7, and also performed on the stage. Her performance, however, received massive attention online, with many accusing her of doing the "bare minimum" on the stage. Many mocked her for not giving a very energetic perfomance at the event.

Some reportedly even called her "stiff" since Carey was walking slowly across the state. This also sparked speculations about her health and if she had been ill. In April 2018, in an interview with PEOPLE, Carey opened up about her journey with bipolar disorder, for the first time. According to the article, the singer was diagnosed back in 2001 after she had a physical and mental breakdown. 

During the conversation, Carey claimed that she did not believe her diagnosis in the first place. The singer reportedly began getting treatment after going through "the hardest couple of years..."

Despite the existing health condition, it is unclear if there was any link between her bipolar disorder and her acting "stiff" during the Sunday performance. While some netizens claimed that she was acting "stiff", others reportedly accused Mariah Carey of lip-syncing during the perfomance. She performed a medley of some of her hit tracks like Sugar Sweet, Fantasy, Honey, Obsessed, and It's Like That.

What did Mariah Carey say about her diagnosis during the 2018 conversation?

As previously mentioned, the diagnosis happened in the early 2000s, but Mariah Carey was not convinced by it. According to her, only after facing immense struggle, she decided to opt for the proper treatment. In the 2018 interview with PEOPLE, Mariah revealed that she had been in denial about her mental health condition for a long time. She continued,

"It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music."

As of April 2011, when the PEOPLE article was published, the singer was taking therapy and medication for bipolar II disorder. At the time, the singer added,

"I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important."

Mariah stated that for the longest time she believed that she just had a severe sleep disorder. Recalling the tough phase, the singer said that she was constantly working and was worried that she was going to disappoint others. According to Mariah, she later realized that she was experiencing a form of mania at the time. She additionally said,

"I guess my depressive episodes were characterized by having very low energy. I would feel so lonely and sad — even guilty that I wasn’t doing what I needed to be doing for my career."

At the 2025 VMAs, Mariah Carey received nominations in several categories, but won in one. One of the categories was Best R&B for her 2025 song Type Dangerous. The singer received the 2025 MTV VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.