Rapper Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, has passed away at the age of 69.
A representative for Eminem confirmed that she died on the evening of Monday, December 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri, due to complications from lung cancer.
Reports about her illness first emerged in September from various news outlets.
Debbie was just 16 when she married Eminem’s father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., and two years later, she gave birth to the future star of “Lose Yourself” in 1972.
Throughout his life, Eminem, now 52, had a tumultuous relationship with his mother. He famously addressed their struggles in his 2002 track “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” which resulted in Nelson suing him for $11 million for defamation.
Although the court ruled in her favor, she was awarded only $25,000 of the amount she sought, ultimately receiving around $1,600 after legal fees were deducted.
In a 2008 interview with The Village Voice, Nelson expressed a desire to reconcile with her son.
In 2013 when the rapper released “Headlights,” fans speculated that it was his apologizing to Nelson.
“And I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad,” he sings in one part of the song. “So Mom, please accept this as a tribute I wrote on this jet.”
As for Debbie Nelson, she celebrated her son from afar in recent years. When he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she congratulated him online.
“Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,” she said in a since-deleted video.
“I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride,” added Nelson at the time. “I’m very, very proud of you.”
Eminem’s estranged father died in 2019 at 67.
Along with Eminem, Debbie Nelson is survived by son Nathan Mathers.
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