Mariah Carey has paid for her entourage to attend the Cannes Film Festival. Mariah, who is renowned for her diva-like behavior, was told there were not enough free tickets for her staff to attend the prestigious event and see her new movie Precious. Rather than be separated from her team, Mariah shelled out for a number of exclusive passes to ensure they could all go together.

A source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper: “Mariah’s really close with her team and couldn’t bear the thought of a couple of people not being able to come, so she paid for it out of her pocket. That’s virtually unheard of in the celebrity world.”

The 39-year-old singer, who plays a dowdy social worker in Precious, revealed she is overwhelmed by how well the film has been received. She said: “The only reactions from fans who have seen the trailer and twittered me have said the movie’s amazing.” Mariah, who married Nick Cannon last year, insists her fans and loved-ones are not put off by her plain appearance in the film. According to her: “No one has said, ‘Girl, I can’t believe you are with those dark circles under your eyes and wearing a wig and looking nasty.’ My husband’s response was over-the-top supportive and amazing. It was not like ‘I cannot believe you let yourself look like that in the movie.’ ”