Mariah Carey showed once again why she’s the queen of unbothered charm when questioned about her absence from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s star-studded wedding celebration in Venice. While strolling through Los Angeles on July 5, Carey was approached by a paparazzo who didn’t hesitate to ask the Grammy-winning singer why she wasn’t among the high-profile guests at the lavish affair, which included celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tom Brady.
Without missing a beat, Carey adjusted her sunglasses and simply replied, “I wasn’t there.” When the photographer pressed further, questioning if she had even received an invitation, Carey coolly shut down any hint of drama, saying, “Oh, don’t turn this into that.”
Her effortless response immediately sparked flashbacks to one of her most iconic pop culture moments: the now-legendary “I don’t know her” remark she made in the early 2000s when asked about Jennifer Lopez. That comment has since become a viral fixture in internet culture, often cited as a prime example of diva-level subtle shade, told E! Online.
Though fans have long speculated the original remark was meant to be cutting, Carey clarified in a 2018 interview with Pitchfork that it wasn’t intended to be mean-spirited.
“I really was trying to say something nice or say nothing at all,” Carey explained. “I really was.” Following her latest paparazzi encounter, social media lit up with reactions, with many users quick to reference her famous line.
“She [doesn’t] know him,” joked one fan, while another tweeted, “I was waiting for her to say… I don’t know them.” Even Jennifer Lopez herself has learned to laugh off the viral moment. During a 2016 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, host Wendy Williams addressed the quote, telling her audience, “No, I’m playing, ‘cause that’s what Mariah said about Jennifer one time.
I’m not trying to start anything,” drawing laughter from both the audience and Lopez. Lopez responded with a chuckle, “She does say that. She’s forgetful, I guess. I don’t know. We’ve met many times. I don’t know, I don’t know her that well.”
As for Carey, she remains characteristically composed, turning a potentially awkward exchange into yet another memorable pop culture moment, with grace, wit, and not a hint of drama. Her brief but bold reply once again reminds fans why she continues to reign as the master of poised shade.