Female fans know Mario as a young, handsome platinum selling crooner. But few people knew about the Grammy-nominated R&B singer’s lifelong battle with his mother’s drug addiction. That is until think.mtv.com decided to present the documentary “I Won’t Love You To Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom.” Below is an excerpt of the show description:

“In this hour long special, MTV’s cameras captured Mario’s personal battle with his mother’s addiction through his point-of-view. Coming close to death from multiple drug overdoses, Shawn was incapable of raising Mario for most of his young life. Growing up, Mario has struggled with trying to find a way to cope with and change his mother’s troubled life. At the age of 20, Mario found himself acting as a parent to his own mother by providing a home for her and paying her expenses. Constantly questioning where the money is going, Mario is at a crossroads to determine whether he’s really the doing the best thing for her. With the help of an interventionist, Shawn’s boyfriend and a close family friend; Mario prepares for one of the toughest days of his life as he finally confronts his mom on camera and offers her the gift of rehab.”

The show, described as an “an intimate portrait of a tortured son trying to save his mother while still continuing to pursue the dreams he’s longed for since childhood” is set to air on MTV on Sunday, October 21st at 10pm (ET/PT). Take a peek below: