Dick Clark Productions slams Mariah Carey's accusations of sabotage as 'frankly absurd' after diva's epic lip syncing meltdown she blamed on faulty earpiece 

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Representatives for Dick Clark Productions hit back at claims that they sabotaged Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve performance in Times Square, calling the accusations 'defamatory, outrageous and frankly absurd'.

Mariah Carey's team blamed her train wreck performance on executives who allegedly set up the incident 'so they could get Mariah drama' according to a report from TMZ.

Before the nightmare performance, Mariah repeatedly told producers and stage managers at Dick Clark Productions that her 'inner ears' - the concealed earpieces that relay the audience's sound back to her - weren't working, insiders told DailyMail.com.

According to the same sources the star was assured by production staff that 'it would be fine once she was on stage'.

'However, that was not the case and they were told again that her ear piece was not working. But instead of fixing the issue so that Mariah could perform, they went live,' they added. 

But Dick Clark Productions denied responsibility, saying 'an initial investigation has indicated that DCP had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance'.

Mariah Carey stormed off stage after botched New Year's Eve performance. Sources say her earpiece and teleprompter didn't work, so she couldn't hear or follow the backing track and subsequently missed her cues

In a statement to DailyMail.com, a representative for the production company said: 'As the premier producer of live television events for nearly 50 years, we pride ourselves on our reputation and long-standing relationships with artists. 

'To suggest that Dick Clark Productions, as producer of music shows including the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and Academy of Country Music Awards, would ever intentionally compromise the success of any artist is defamatory, outrageous and frankly absurd. 

'In very rare instances there are of course technical errors that can occur with live television, however, an initial investigation has indicated that DCP had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance. 

'We want to be clear that we have the utmost respect for Ms. Carey as an artist and acknowledge her tremendous accomplishments in the industry.'

Sources connected with Mariah say the executives falsely told her the earpieces were on a different frequency and would work once she was on stage TMZ reported.  

And despite a troubled interview earlier with host Ryan Seacrest, in which Mariah said she couldn't hear what the host was saying, she pressed on with her performance commitment anyway - with disastrous results.   

Carey looked furious as she walked around the stage but did not sing due to the show-stopping technical error. Her people claim that it was the result of sabotage 'so they could get Mariah drama'

The megastar was supposed to herald in 2017 and say good riddance to 2016 before the traditional ball drop by performing two hits: Emotions and We Belong Together. 

As is common for pop performers, she would be fed the backing track through the earpieces - which is essential, as the huge speakers used in major performances can be deafening to those on stage, and the noise from crowds even more so. 

A sound-check at 3pm had worked just fine, insiders claim. 

But just six minutes before she was to perform, she was still having problems with the inner ears - and still being reassured by production staff that they would work on the night, insiders claim.

An attempt to fix the problem by swapping the battery pack on her mic pack failed to fix the issue, TMZ's sources said. 

None of that worked - and neither did arriving at the stage four minutes early. But not wanting to back out of the agreement she attempted the performance anyway.

It didn't go well.

Mariah appeared to have trouble with her earpiece before the performance too, when she told host Ryan Seacrest (pictured right) that she was having trouble hearing him

Unable to follow the backing track - and scuppered by a teleprompter that, according to the singers insiders, wasn't working - Carey stumbled over the lyrics.

At one point she stopped her performance and put a hand on her hip while the backing track continued without her. 

Furious with the unfolding disaster in front of millions inside Times Square and watching at home, Carey, who was dressed in a stunning pink bodysuit, began pacing in frustration across the stage.

Trying to keep calm, she stopped and told the crowd that despite the performance falling apart at the seams, 'I'm trying to be a good sport here.'

Her backup dancers bravely carried on, but quickly became confused leading Mariah to say, 'It is what it is. It just don't get any better' - at which point she walked off the stage.

Letting emotion get the better of her, the star also said, 'I wanted a holiday too. Can't I just have one?' 

Mariah later tried to brush off the huge blunder, writing 's**t happens' in an Instagram post after the set.

But insiders told TMZ it was all a plot 'so they could get Mariah drama'. Mariah's team also fired off an email to an Exec at Dick Clark Productions, saying, 'This is sabotage.'

After her second song ended, Carey turned her back on the stage and stormed off - a full 15 minutes before the clock hit midnight

Mariah later tried to brush off the botched set, saying 's**t happens' in an Instagram post 

Carey was noticeably annoyed as she stood by herself on stage (left), before she asked a dancing to lift her leg (right)

'We didn't have a check for this song... we're missing some of the vocals, but it is what it is. I'm just going to let the audience sing,' said the singer before her fit of pique.

'We didn't have a sound check for this New Year's baby, it is what it is.'

'Get these monitors on please.'

At that point, Carey appeared to give up, and went over to one of her dancers and said: 'Just for laughs, do the lift.' The dancer then lifted Carey's leg in the air, as she sang a few notes.

'I wanted a holiday too, can't I just have one,' she said as the first song wrapped up.'

After the second song wrapped up, Mariah sarcastically said,'bring the feathers, it just don't get any better,' before walking off.

Carey was visibly annoyed throughout her short performance, and she also vented about her frustrations to the crowd in Times Square

After the second song wrapped up, Mariah sarcastically said,'bring the feathers, it just don't get any better,' before walking off

Mariah Carey performs on stage with a dancer during her set, which was cut short when she stormed off stage after tech glitches

Prelude to disaster: Mariah begins to look uneasy during her Times Square performance moments before she left the stage

Mariah Carey performs in Times Square during the New Year's Eve celebrations in New York

Ready for the ball drop: Chirlane McCray, her husband New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and his wife Yoo Soon-taek pose on stage during New Year's Celebrations in Times Square

Fireworks erupted in Times Square as the countdown hit zero and the clock officially ticked over to 2017

By the time the ball finally dropped in Times Square, Mariah Carey had been off-stage for more than 10 minutes in Manhattan

Thousands cheering in Times Square as the final seconds ticked off for 2016, and the ball dropped on another year in Manhattan

Let the party start: Times Square is covered in confetti as the New Year's Eve Waterford crystal ball is dropped 

The ABC broadcast then cut back to Ryan Seacrest, who said: 'Mariah Carey there, on our stage. No matter what Mariah does, the crowd absolutely loves it.'  

Booked as the top guest for Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, the megastar was supposed to herald the start of 2017 as the Waterford Crystal dropped at midnight. 

Alarms bells rang earlier in the day when the star's team apparently asked producers what time the ball dropped according to the New York Post. 

Sources close to the megastar denied this to DailyMail.com, claiming everyone in the country knows what time the famous Waterford Crystal ball drops.

Twitter trashes Mariah for her New Year's Eve meltdown

Mariah Carey 's meltdown on national television was the talk of Twitter as 2017 began with a bang.

The diva stormed off the stage in New York 's Times Square during the New Year's Eve telecast on ABC after a broken earpiece led to her not being able to hear the backing track over the crowd, sources said.

Carey appeared flustered and on the verge of tears as she declined to sing some lines of her songs.

Carey's meltdown became the most trending topic on Twitter, with commenters mercilessly lampooning the songstress.

Todd Hall tweeted this quip about Mariah Carey 'bombing Times Square'

Andrew Clark tweeted that Mariah Carey's performance gave him reason to watch the telecast

'I'm sitting here singing to Mariah Carey while Mariah Carey is pretending to sing to Mariah Carey,' wrote Sabrina O'Brien

'Who needs to drop the ball for New Years when Mariah Carey already covered it,' wrote this Twitter user

Another Twitter user wrote that the jihadist group ISIS 'claimed responsibility' for the meltdown

Thomas Rhett performs onstage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2017 at Times Square

Joe Jonas of DNCE performs during New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square on December 31, 2016 in New York

DNCE performs during New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square on December 31, 2016 in New York

Mikito Horino, left, and kisses his wife, Taki Horino, from Japan, during a new years celebration at Times Square

According to the New York Post, producers of the show were so concerned she might be late, that they hired an entire crew to ensure the legendary diva made it to the ball on time.

An apartment was reportedly booked for Mariah to have her hair and make-up done in at the top of the Times Square hotel, as organizers feared she would not make the trip from her Manhattan apartment in time. 

'There's a team of top producers tasked to get her there on time and shepherd her to the stage,' a source said, to the New York Post reported.

However, Mariah's people flatly denied claims by the Post that concerns were sparked when one of her entourage asked 'What time exactly does the ball drop?'

DISMAL PERFORMANCE CAPS OFF TERRIBLE YEAR

Mariah split from her billionaire fiancé James Packer following a dramatic fight in September.

According to Australian publication Woman's Day, the billionaire casino don, 48, dumped the 46-year-old pop-star over her 'extravagant spending' as well as a falling out over her new reality TV show, Mariah's World  - which aired last month.  

'It's all over,' a family friend allegedly confirmed to the publication.

'James had huge reservations about Mariah's new reality TV show and the fact that she was willing to expose their lives to the world.'

It was also claimed that the tycoon has allowed her to keep her $10m diamond engagement ring.

The pair became engaged in January after a whirlwind romance of less than a year.

2016 has been a checkered year for the star during which she has seen her engagement to Australian billionaire James Packer end

Mariah Carey was assigned a special team to make sure she wasn't late for her Times Square gig on New Year's Eve. Her new beau Bryan Tanaka (right) also helped make sure she didn't miss midnight by carrying her on the stage in rehearsals

Annual tradition: Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin once more acted as hosts for CNN viewers during the events in Times Square, New York, on New Year's Eve

Two revelers share a kiss as the clock hits midnight in Times Square in Manhattan to celebrate the new year

Revelers play in the confetti at the start of 2017 at the New Year's celebration in Times Square in Manhattan

Revelers pose for a photo lying in the confetti during the new year celebration in New York's Times Square

Two more people kiss during the celebrations in Manhattan after the calendar officially rolled over into 2017

Times Square revelers look ecstatic during the New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City on Saturday night

Times Square revelers use their phones to catch pictures of the traditional finale of the New Year's Eve celebrations

Fireworks are displayed on the clock of Times Square during New Year's celebrations at Times Square on January 1, 2017

Confetti falls as people celebrate the new year in New York's Times Square in the middle of Manhattan as the clock hit midnight

People take a selfie with a member of the counter terrorism task force in Times Square in New York

Revelers at the start of 2017 at the New Year's celebration in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City on Sunday morning

Kaitlin Olivi of Yonkers, NY, and Lucas Pereira, of Sayreville, NJ, kiss as confetti falls during a celebration of the new year in New York's Times Square

A woman runs after confetti picked up by wind while celebrating the new year at Times Square just after the clock hit midnight

A reveler poses for a photo as she wears glasses that read '2017' in during New Year's Eve festivities in Times Square

People take part in New Year's eve celebrations at Times Square on December 31, 2016 in New York

New Year's Eve revelers - many donning oversized 2017 eyeglasses and green Statue of Liberty hats - filled the iconic square on Saturday hours before the glittering crystal ball was to drop

Officials estimated as many as a million celebrants would descend upon the Crossroads of the World, braving cold temperatures and strong winds to ring in the New Year amid heavy police protection

During the night on CNN, host Don Lemon agreed to have his ear pierced as part of the broadcast

Lemon was part of the CNN team that was broadcasting from New Orleans - meaning he was behind the New York broadcast

In another bizarre moment earlier in the day, Carey had to be carried on stage for rehearsals by her boyfriend and back-up dancer, Bryan Tanaka.

Amid all the diva drama, New Year's Eve revelers - many donning oversized 2017 eyeglasses and green Statue of Liberty hats - filled the iconic square on Saturday hours before the glittering crystal ball was to drop.

Officials estimated as many as a million celebrants descended upon the Crossroads of the World, braving cold temperatures and strong winds to ring in the New Year amid heavy police protection.

Stefania Moran, from Puebla, Mexico, and five friends, who are nannies for families in the United States, traveled to New York to secure a coveted spot in one of 35 metal pens where re-entry is prohibited.

'I've always wanted to come to New York, and this is one of the must-dos before you die,' she said.

Laura Ribera, from Bolivia, said people told her she was crazy for coming.

'But we wanted to be in New York,' she said. 'Even the people in our hotel were asking us why we would go out there. But I feel safe.' 

Revelers Jaimie Johnson, left, Jennifer Johnson, center, and Pam Johnson of Southaven, Michigan, take part in the New Year's Eve celebration in New York's Times Square

A sea of commemorative New Year's Eve top hats is seen as revelers watch screens in Times Square on Saturday night

Confetti flies during a test, over Times Square as revelers take part in the New Year's Eve celebration in Manhattan

Revelers gather on Times Square in New York Saturday, December 31, 2016, hours before the ball drops, to welcome in the New Year

Police move barricades in Times Square on New Year's Eve in New York. There had been additional security in the city for the event

A woman is pictured wearing a celebratory hat and '2017' glasses in Times Square as part of the massive New Year's Eve event

A reveler in Times Square in preparation for the New Year's celebration in Manhattan

Revelers gather on Times Square in New York Saturday, December 31, 2016, to take part in a New Year's Eve celebration

A woman is seen wearing a New Year's Eve 2017 hat during the celebrations in Times Square on Saturday night

Gloria Estefan performs during a concert in Times Square on New Year's Eve in New York

Gloria Estefan was on stage with performers from her Broadway musical, On Your Feet!

For more than two decades, security has gradually been tightened for the event. Recent deadly truck attacks in Germany and France brought about another security upgrade this year. 

Dozens of 20-ton sanitation trucks weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand blocked off streets leading to the celebration zone.

About 7,000 police officers, along with specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs, were on guard, police said.

'We're well prepared,' police Commissioner James O'Neill said. 'All New Yorkers should feel safe, especially if you're in Times Square. It is going to be the most protected place in the city.'

This year, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had the honor of pushing the Waterford crystal button that begins a 60-second countdown to 2017.

It was also reported security has been ramped up across the country in Los Angeles for the city's celebrations, in the wake of the shooting in Turkey. 

The line-up for the NYE gig also included DNCE, Thomas Rhett, and Gloria Estefan and the cast of her Broadway musical On Your Feet! 

Mariah and Tanaka (pictured with his arms around her waist) were seen getting close in the company of other backing dancers as they prepared for their performance

Mariah grabs onto metal railings as she practices for her showpiece set in the Big Apple 

Top billing: The diva was set to ring in 2017 as the headliner for the famous Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest in the closing moments of December 31

Can't be late: Producers were reportedly worried about Mariah Carey making one of her renowned dramatic late entrances, so had an entire team to get her there on time

Getting ready: Organizers prepare for the Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City

Workers manage the cables of the Waterford crystal ball during a test run-up to Times Square New Year's Eve 2017