Mariah Carey Keeps It Real with 'Bad Lighting' Joke, Hints at Ex-Hubby Tommy Mottola at iHeartsRadio Music Awards

Mariah Carey turned heads while performing at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 17 and bringing home the Icon Award.

The pop legend took the stage at the Dolby Theater and delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech that combined nostalgia with a touch of humor.

When she started her speech, Carey joked about how the venue was lit.

"Is the lighting OK? Because I don't like bad lighting," she quipped, prompting laughter and applause from the audience as production staff hurried to adjust the lights.

Carey continued to engage with her fans, asking if they liked her outfit before twirling for cheers.

Reflecting on her career, she shared, "As a kid, I used to listen to my favorite artists on the radio and dream of being on the airwaves myself.

For those of you who may not know what airwaves are, think of them as the non-WiFi of streaming."

The singer expressed her enduring excitement for hearing her songs on the radio, noting, "Even now I still get excited when I hear one of my songs playing on the radio. It never stops being magical."

During the tribute segment for Carey, artists Tori Kelly and Muni Long performed some of her greatest hits.

A moment during Long's rendition of "We Belong Together" caught attention when cameras captured Carey's expressive reaction. The video quickly went viral, giving rise to a new meme.

Carey also took a moment to acknowledge her first manager, John Sykes, while subtly referencing her ex-husband, Tommy Mottola. "He was my first manager," Carey stated.

"Some people think it was this other guy, but it wasn't him. It was John."

In a previous interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Mariah Carey opened up about her tumultuous marriage to music executive Tommy Mottola, describing him as a "warden" and "completely controlling father."

The singer recounted a particular incident involving a short outing with rapper Da Brat that escalated into what she called "a huge drama."

"I was like, yeah, let's go for a ride because it was normal for most people to just leave their house and go literally five minutes down the street to get French fries or just take a ride," Carey recalled during her conversation with Jane Pauley.

However, she noted that this seemingly simple decision turned into a significant conflict due to Mottola's controlling nature.

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