Photo: Reuters file
Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, passed away at the age of 69 on December 2. According to a representative of Eminem, Nelson's death was due to complications from lung cancer, as reported by a US media outlet. Born in 1955, Nelson married Eminem's father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., at the age of 16. Two years later, in 1972, she gave birth to the 'Lose Yourself' rapper. Throughout Eminem's childhood and his rise to fame, the relationship between mother and son was marked by turbulence. In his 2002 song 'Cleanin' Out My Closet', Eminem criticized his mother, leading to a lawsuit in which Nelson sought USD 11 million for defamation.
In a 2008 interview with The Village Voice, Nelson expressed hope for reconciliation. "There's hope for everybody," she said. "It's a matter of just basically swallowing your pride. It's like a cashed check. It's over, it's done. You need to move on." Fans speculated that Eminem's 2013 release 'Headlights' was an apology to his mother. In one part of the song, he sings, "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 recent years, Nelson celebrated Eminem's successes from afar. 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. Nelson is survived by her son Nathan Mathers, in addition to Eminem.
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