Pop singer Mariah Carey, 38 and 27-year-old actor Nick Cannon have managed to evade the media about their secret wedding that took place just two weeks ago. Carey, married once before to record producer, Tommy Mottola, walked down the aisle with Cannon, 10 years her junior, after only knowing him for a month. Friends and family on both sides were stunned when they received the news. An insider revealed that the celebrity couple initially wished to keep the wedding details under wraps due to shared embarrassment over the hasty nuptials. 

So what was the big rush? Fans finally managed to catch sight of Carey as she made an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show just last Tuesday. DeGeneres, notorious for being charmingly frank, finally managed to get a few facts from the tight-lipped singer. “Instead of trying to be like, ‘you’re invited, but, shh, don’t tell anybody,’ we’re just going to have another wedding next year,” Carey told DeGeneres. “Nick’s plan is to have one every year.” 

The covert ceremony took place on the Bahama beach. Carey and Cannon wanted the wedding to be ultra-private, so they kept the plans from their closest friends and even their parents. All of the people who were present were “there to do my hair and help me with the dress. We wanted to be on the beach and we didn’t want other people taking pictures,” Carey replied when asked why they wanted privacy. 

Many fans believed that the wedding never actually happened and that the entire rumor was just a publicity stunt. Carey responded to the accusation on the DeGeneres show, saying that people will believe what they want. “We both experienced the hoopla of trying to make something a publicity stunt, which is what everyone thinks, and will think anyway, but we don’t really care about that.” 

Carey comes from a broken home, a fact that she spoke about freely with DeGeneres. “My parents divorced when I was three and I didn’t have many examples of what was the norm.” She was raised by her mother; a former opera singer and vocal coach who helped her pursue a career in the music industry. 

When asked if she had any reservations about rushing the ceremony, Carey said, “I found the right person.” In fact, the singer is eager to start a family with her new husband. Hopefully the new couple throws themselves a grand reception in honor of their marriage before Carey begins the conception process!