In an emotional appearance on Good Morning America this morning, Mariah Carey opened up for the first time about the death of her friend, collaborator and one-time rival Whitney Houston.

“I’m almost incapable of talking about it. It’s very heavy for me emotionally," she began, speaking with GMA's Robin Roberts. "It was great and I don't think people could ever understand our relationship ... there was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning and then we did the duet and we became friends.  I loved her. We all loved her. May she rest in peace ... her legend's gonna go on forever."

Mariah, who won an Academy Award for her 1998 duet with Whitney, "When You Believe," was present at the iconic singer's funeral this past weekend.

"It was gorgeous. It was such a class act," she said. "The way she went out and the way the family dealt with it, I was very moved."

Mariah also touched on the status of her husband Nick Cannon, who recently suffered a serious health scare involving mild kidney failure, blood clots in his lungs and an enlarged right ventricle in his heart. The news shocked fans and caused Cannon to walk away from his morning radio show.

"Nick is doing well," Carey said, providing an update. "It's a complicated situation. The best thing I think is the choice that he made to leave the radio show and focus on [his TV shows America's Got Talent] and "Up All Night." It was just something that hit us really hard at the top of the year."

"He's doing better now," she continued. "He's a young, healthy person and it's just about making a lifestyle change and being aware of what can happen to you no matter how young you are. I think he's going to take this negative thing and turn it into a positive."

Carey and Cannon have twin babies together, Moroccan (a boy) and Monroe (a girl).

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