January 07, 2010
Mariah Blames Champagne for Tipsy Speech
Mariah Carey is taking a cue from Jamie Foxx and blaming it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol.
Carey, 40, says she had "splashes of champagne" before accepting her Breakthrough Actress Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival -- and that's why she was a little out of it during her speech.
"We were celebrating and having little splashes, and I hadn't eaten, and that's what it was," Mariah explains to reporters at the People's Choice Awards. "We were celebrating the movie and all the exciting stuff going on. There's a time for celebration and a time for not -- but really technically, it's a party atmosphere. We had splashes of champagne."
The singer says that Lee Daniels, her close friend and the director of "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," egged on her drinking.
"The thing is, me and Lee hadn't seen each other in a while," she says. "I love Lee, but he's a bad influence!"
During her speech, an overwhelmed Mariah told the audience, "Please forgive me because I'm a little bit um, yeah," leading some to wonder whether she'd had one too many -- or let her nerves get the best of her.
Last night, Mariah took home an award for Favorite R&B Artist at the People's Choice Awards. Check out the full list of winners here!
Check out Mariah's acceptance speech below:
