Eminem’s Mother Debbie Nelson Dead at 69

According to Billboard, Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, passed away. She was sixty-nine.

The news was initially reported by TMZ. The outlet claims that Nelson’s terminal lung cancer in St. Joseph, Missouri, caused his death. The office of the medical examiner has been contacted by Billboard. Early in 2024, there were rumors that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Nelson, the eldest of five children, was born on a Kansas military installation. As a teenager, she wed Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., and on October 17, 1972, she gave birth to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers.

During his early years and into his Hall of Fame career, Em and his mother had a tumultuous relationship. The Detroit rap legend used songs like “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and “My Name Is” to show his mockery of his mother.

In 1999, Nelson filed a defamation lawsuit against her son, requesting $11 million. According to ABC News, despite the judge’s decision in her favor, she only received $25,000 in 2001 and received considerably less money after legal bills.

In her candid 2007 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, she also revealed a significant portion of her relationship with Eminem.

On songs like 2013’s “Headlights,” Em had openly apologized for his treatment of his mother over the years and offered her an olive branch.

On The Marshall Mathers LP 2 cut, he raps, “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.”

Nelson praised her son’s 2022 entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in more recent years. At the time, she sent a video message congratulating Marshall, saying, “I wanted to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame.” “You have my undying love. You’ll get there, I knew. The journey has been lengthy. I’m so proud of you. In addition, I’m really proud of my big girl, [granddaughter] Hailie Jade. Hailie, you did a fantastic job with your podcast. May God continue to bless you all. I adore you so much.