Debbie Nelson, mother of famous rapper Eminem, has passed away at 69 after a long fight with lung cancer.
A representative for Eminem confirmed on Tuesday that Nelson died Monday night in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, has not yet issued a public statement regarding his mother’s passing.
Debbie Nelson became a notable figure in pop culture due to Eminem’s music, where he often detailed their strained relationship. Songs like “My Name Is,” “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” and “Headlights” highlighted their tumultuous history.
Despite their public disputes, Nelson claimed her son’s criticisms were rooted in misunderstanding. In her 2008 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, she wrote:
“I know deep down that Marshall still loves me. He’s just confused.”
In 1999, Nelson filed a $10 million lawsuit against Eminem, accusing him of defamation and emotional distress over his public remarks about her alleged drug use and abusive behavior.
The case was eventually settled out of court, an event Eminem alluded to in his song “Without Me.”
In later years, there were indications of reconciliation, particularly in the 2014 track “Headlights,” where Eminem expressed remorse for his harsh depiction of his mother.
Debbie Nelson was born in 1955 on a U.S. Air Force base in Kansas. At 15, she married Bruce Mathers in 1970, and two years later, she gave birth to Eminem in St. Joseph, Missouri. The couple divorced in 1974, with Nelson citing physical abuse as the reason.
After living in Metro Detroit for several years, Nelson moved back to St. Joseph, where she spent her final years.
