Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, has passed away at the age of 69. She had a difficult relationship with her son, which Eminem often mentioned in his rap songs. A spokesperson for Eminem confirmed the news, but the cause of death is not yet known.
Debbie Nelson gave birth to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, in 1972 when she was 18. She married his father, Bruce Mathers when she was 15 and he was 22. Bruce left the family shortly after Eminem was born, and Debbie raised him and his half-brother Nathan on her own.
In a 1999 Rolling Stone interview, Eminem spoke about fighting with his mother and accused her of stealing his paychecks and taking drugs, which Nelson denied. A lyric from Eminem’s 1999 hit “My Name Is” (“I just found out my mom does more dope than I do”) caused Nelson to file a $10 million defamation lawsuit against her son, which she won.
Eminem continued to reference his mom in songs like “Kill You” (“My mama used to tell me these crazy things … I realized she was the crazy one”), used strong language at her in “Cleaning Out My Closet,” and further accused her of heavy drug use in “My Mom.”
In 2000, Nelson released her song, “Dear Marshall,” where she apologized to Eminem and said, “Marshall, I did the best I could.” She asked him to stop insulting her in his music.
In 2008, Nelson published a memoir titled “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” in which she defended herself against accusations of neglect and abuse.
Five years later, Eminem released the surprising song “Headlights,” in which he apologized to Nelson for speaking about their relationship in his music and for resenting her. “I don’t hate you ’cause, Ma / You’re still beautiful to me, ’cause you’re my Ma,” Eminem sang. In the song, he told Nelson he loved her and expressed regret that she didn’t have a relationship with her grandchildren.
Eminem’s relationship with his mother in recent years is unclear, though Nelson congratulated him on Twitter in 2022 for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I love you very much. I knew you’d get there,” she wrote. “It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.”
