Rapper Eminem’s mother Debbie Nelson has died after a short battle with stage 4 lung cancer. She was 69.
TMZ reported Debbie died on Monday night in St. Joseph, Missouri. Her terminal illness was revealed in September. Reports at the time said she didn’t have long to live.
Eminem’s relationship with his mother was strained and dysfunctional. They often aired their dirty laundry in public. Early in his rap career, Eminem accused his mother of being neglectful and abusive. He dissed his mom in rap tracks like “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
Eminem refused to let his mom have a relationship with his daughter, Hailie Jade.
Debbie sued her son for defamation in 1999, and she also wrote a tell-all 2007 memoir, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.”
In recent years, mother and son reconciled. In the 2013 track “Headlights”, Eminem expressed regret over his harsh words and apologized to Debbie. The song was released on Mother’s Day.
Debbie congratulated Eminem on his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022. After her diagnosis, he reportedly paid for her cancer treatments and around the clock care.
Eminem (born Marshall Mathers) became a global superstar after the release of his single “My Name Is.” He won the Best Rap Album Grammy for three consecutive albums: The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show. He also received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself,” from the 2002 film 8 Mile, which he also starred in.
