In June 1993, Mottola and Carey married in a lavish ceremony, but the marriage was short-lived with the couple separating shortly before Christmas 1996 and divorcing in early 1998. In 2000, Carey, at the time Columbia's biggest selling artist, signed an $80 million contract with Virgin Records, but after the commercial and critical failure of her first album for the label, "the Glitter soundtrack", Virgin dropped her from the company and it rescinded the $80 million contract. Carey later signed with Island Records.