Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, whose tumultuous relationship with her son became widely known through his music, has passed away at the age of 69.
Eminem’s long-time representative, Dennis Dennehy, confirmed Nelson’s death in a statement on Tuesday, though he did not disclose a cause of death. Nelson had been battling lung cancer.
Born in 1955 on a military base in Kansas, Nelson’s strained relationship with her son, Marshall Mathers III (Eminem), became public as his career took off.
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The rapper famously expressed his grievances about his mother in songs like “Cleaning Out My Closet” (2002), where he rapped: “Witnessin’ your mama poppin’ prescription pills in the kitchen… My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t.”
While Eminem’s anger seemed to persist in his lyrics, such as in the Oscar-winning “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile, which included the line about “mom’s spaghetti,” his feelings toward his mother appeared more conflicted over time.
In response, Nelson filed defamation lawsuits against her son over his public comments about her, and in 2008, she released a memoir titled My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, in which she defended herself and painted a different picture of their early relationship.
She recalled how close they had been, writing that they were so inseparable that “it was as if the umbilical cord had never been cut.”
She also detailed her own difficult childhood, highlighting a violent family life and describing how her paternal grandmother provided the love she lacked.
Nelson’s life was marked by hardship, including a violent attack in 2004, when she was dragged from her car on Eight Mile Road in Detroit, the same street made famous by Eminem’s 8 Mile movie.
She suffered bruises and a broken foot in the attack, and the 16-year-old assailant was sentenced to over four years in prison.
Eminem, one of the most successful and influential rappers in history, was recently recognized with a Best Hip Hop Act award at the 2024 MTV EMAs and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
In October, he announced that he would soon become a grandfather, sharing the news through a heartfelt music video celebrating his relationship with his daughter, Hailie Jade, who is expecting a child.