1 week Ago By Tina Campbell
Eminem ’s mother Debbie Nelson has died aged 69 following a battle with advanced lung cancer. According to US news outlet TMZ , Ms Nelson died on Monday night St. Joseph, Missouri, which was the birthplace of her Grammy Award-winning rapper son.
Eminem - real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III - has yet to comment on her death. She and the Houdini hit-maker shared a complicated relationship which saw them become estranged after years of public drama and legal battles. Nelson sued her son for defamation in 1999 over song lyrics on his debut album The Slim Shady LP that insinuated that she did drugs.
Eminem's lawyer, Paul Rosenberg, said at the time that his client’s music reflected his life story. "Truth is an absolute defense to a claim of defamation," Rosenberg said. "It is merely the result of a lifelong strained relationship between him and mother.
"Regardless, it is still painful to be sued by your mother and therefore the lawsuit will only be dealt with through legal channels." She was awarded a $25,000 settlement in 2001, but the majority of the payout went to her legal representative. In 2008, Nelson penned a memoire titled My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, in which she confessed she was "heartbroken" over Eminem's claims about her.
This appeared to give him food for thought as he later expressed regret over their feud in his 2013 song Headlights. He rapped: “I went in headfirst, never thinking about who what I said hurt, my mom probably got it the worst.” Later on in the track, he said: “And I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad, so mom, please accept this as a tribute I wrote on this jet.
” In 2021, Eminem named his Detroit restaurant Mom's Spaghetti as a reference to his iconic song Lose Yourself. By 2022, their relationship appeared to have taken a further turn when she congratulated him following his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She shared a heartfelt message to her offspring in a video shared to social media, telling him: "I love you very much.
I knew you'd get there. It's been a long ride. I'm very, very proud of you.
” Nelson. who previously battled breast cancer, is survived by her two sons, Eminem and his younger brother Nate. She also had six grandchildren, including Hailie Jade, who announced in October that she is pregnant with her first child.
The Standard has contacted a representative for Eminem for comment..
