Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, whose tumultuous relationship with her son was widely known through his lyrics, has passed away at 69.
Eminem’s longtime representative, Dennis Dennehy, confirmed her death in an email on Tuesday but did not specify the cause, according to The Guardian.
Nelson had previously battled lung cancer.
Born in 1955 on a Kansas military base, Nelson endured a tough childhood.
At 15, she married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., and at 17, she gave birth to Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known to the world as Eminem.
Not long after his birth, her husband left, and Nelson raised Eminem and his half-brother, Nathan Mathers, on her own.
Nelson’s strained relationship with her son, Marshall Mathers III, became public as Eminem rose to fame.
His 2002 hit “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” included harsh lines about her, such as, “Witnessin’ your mama poppin’ prescription pills in the kitchen. … My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t.”
In contrast, his Oscar-winning track “Lose Yourself,” from the movie 8 Mile, referenced his “mom’s spaghetti,” showing a less critical tone.
The song won Best Rap Song at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Nelson filed and settled defamation lawsuits over comments Eminem made about her in interviews. In her 2008 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, she shared her perspective, highlighting the bond they once had.
She wrote in her memoir, “Marshall and I were so close that friends and relatives commented it was as if the umbilical cord had never been cut.”
In 2004, Nelson was assaulted on Detroit’s Eight Mile Road, famously linked to Eminem’s movie. A 16-year-old dragged her from her car, leaving her with bruises and a broken foot. The attacker was sentenced to over four years in prison.
Over the years, the tension in Eminem and Debbie Nelson’s relationship seemed to ease somewhat.
In his 2013 song Headlights, Eminem expressed regret for some of his earlier harsh lyrics.
He rapped, “I’m sorry, Mama, for Cleanin’ Out My Closet. At the time I was angry. Rightfully? Maybe so. Never meant to take it that far, though.”
Despite this moment of remorse, they reportedly stayed mostly estranged.
However, when Eminem was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Nelson publicly congratulated him in a video message that was later removed.
She said, “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you. I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.”
Eminem is yet to release a statement on his mother’s demise.
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