Singer and actress Mariah Carey says she was mentally and emotionally abused during her marriage to music mogul Tommy Mottola.

While promoting her new film "Precious", in which she plays a social worker trying to help an abused teenager, Carey said she's no stranger to abuse, reported contactmusic.com

"Abuse has several categories...emotionally, mentally, in other ways," Carey said.

"It's scary. I just think you get into a situation and you feel locked in. If your situation is similar to one of the situations I've been in, which I won't harp on... For me, to really get out of it was difficult because there was a connection that was not only a marriage, but a business where the person was in control of my life," added Carey.

The star was married to Mottola from 1993 to 1998.

Source: IANS