Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, has died from lung cancer, according to TMZ. She was 69 years old.
The outlet is reporting that Nelson passed away in St. Joseph, Missouri, in the evening on Monday, December 2. A source told In Touch in September that Nelson was “terminally ill with advanced lung cancer.”
It is not a secret the 52-year-old rapper has had a contentious relationship with his mother throughout the years, rapping about their tumultuous ups and downs throughout his discography. Nelson, who gave birth to Eminem when she was 18 years old, later sued her son for defamation in 1999 over lyrics about her on his 1999 album, The Slim Shady LP. According to ABC, Nelson sued for $11 million, and although the judge ruled in her favor, she was awarded only $25,000. Of that amount, about $23,354 was forced to go to her attorney, leaving her with just $1,600 in the end.
Inductee Eminem attends the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. “The Real Slim Shady” rapper’s mom Debbie Nelson has reportedly passed away.
Nelson also released a memoir titled My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, in 2007. In the book, Nelson alleged the public treated her poorly because of how her son characterized her and claimed she tried to be a good mom.
Nelson wrote, “He [Eminem] did not want to believe it when he discovered that fans spat at me in the supermarket and stuck chewing gum in my hair. It’s not just the fans. Their parents sneer at me, too, because they do not realize that Marshall was reared in a loving, creative environment. I’m not saying I was the perfect mother — far from it, as you will read — but I did my best.”
The Grammy-winning artist has dissed his mother in multiple songs, including “My Mom,” released in 2009, where he alleged, “My mom loved Valium and lots of drugs.”
However, the pair seem to have repaired their relationship over the years. Eminem released the song “Headlights” in 2013, and apologized for his resentment towards her in the track. In 2022, Nelson congratulated the legendary rapper via social media for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Eminem has a half-brother, Nathan ‘Nate’ Mathers, whom Nelson had in 1986 with her boyfriend. The brothers share a tight bond, with Eminem getting Nate out of foster care as a teenager and gaining custody of him.
Eminem’s father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., passed away in 2019. The “Lose Yourself” rapper had no relationship with him.
