When Derek Jeter and Mariah Carey bonded over shared bi-racial identity

8 Apr 2000: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees swings the bat during batting practice before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport; Mariah Carey
8 Apr 2000: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees swings the bat during batting practice before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport; Mariah Carey

In the memoir "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," global pop icon Mariah Carey discussed Derek Jeter. In 2020, she shared how Jeter's bi-racial identity led her to dub him "closer to a Prince Charming."

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Both New York Yankees legend Jeter and "My Roof" singer Carey belong to multiracial families. Mariah's father Alfred Roy Carey is black, and her mother Patricia Carey is white. While Derek's father, Charles Jeter, is African-American, his mother, Dorothy Connors, is of English, German, and Irish ancestry.

Derek and Mariah's common ground was their mixed race, which promptly created a connection. Mariah wrote in her 2020 memoir:

"And the intimacy of our shared racial experience was major -- to connect with a healthy family who looked like mine was very inspiring. He was in the right place at the right time, and he was there for the right purpose."
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"Mariah Carey reveals the two songs she wrote about ex Derek Jeter." - Page Six

Mariah Carey also opened up in her memoir about how Jeter helped her to break free from her abusive marriage with Tommy Mottola (former Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment). Mariah and Jeter had a short-lived affair and dated between 1997-1998.

Derek Jeter confessed that Mariah Carey was out of his league

30 Oct 2000: New York Yankee Derek, the World Series MVP, video tapes the crowd during their victory parade up the Canyon of Heroes in New York City. Digital FileMandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/ALLSPORT
30 Oct 2000: New York Yankee Derek, the World Series MVP, video tapes the crowd during their victory parade up the Canyon of Heroes in New York City. Digital FileMandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/ALLSPORT

Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter discussed the difficulties of dating a worldwide pop diva like Carey in a 1999 Sports Illustrated interview. Jeter said:

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"I have to be with someone very understanding, someone who's willing to deal with all the attention. But going out with Mariah that's taking it to a whole other level."

He added:

"She's someone who's known worldwide. I don't see how two very famous people—and I'm nowhere close to her level—would be able to deal with that over the long haul. It's too much."
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"(1998) Happy birthday to Mariah Carey! Here's a throwback of her and Derek 20 years ago." - Timeless Sports

Not many MLB fans know that Derek Jeter had a major crush on Mariah Carey Jeter during his teenage years. So, getting romantically involved with Mariah was certainly a big deal for the former Yankees captain.

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Edited by John Maxwell
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