Debbie Nelson, the single mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics, has died. She was 69.
Eminem’s longtime representative Dennis Dennehy confirmed Nelson’s death on Tuesday commenting that Nelson had passed away due to complications from lung cancer which she had battled for a long time.
Nelson’s illness was publicly out in September, with multiple outlets covering her health struggles. Born in 1955 on a military base in Kansas, Nelson grew up in what she described as a “large dysfunctional family”.
Eminem had for a long time disparaged his mother in songs such as the 2002 single “Cleaning Out My Closet.” in which he sang: “Witnessin’ your mama poppin’ prescription pills in the kitchen. … My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t.”
Additionally, in lyrics from his Oscar-winning hit “Lose Yourself” from the movie “8 Mile,” his feelings seem to have simmered, referencing his “mom’s spaghetti.” The song went on to win best rap song at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
However, Nelson brought and settled a pair of defamation lawsuits over Eminem’s statements about her in magazines and on radio talk shows.
Although the court ruled in her favor, Nelson received only $25,000 in damages, with her net payout shrinking to approximately $1,600 after legal fees.
Despite their rocky history, Debbie Nelson expressed hope for reconciliation in a 2008 interview with ‘The Village Voice’. “There’s hope for everybody,” she said. “It’s a matter of swallowing your pride. It’s like a cashed check—it’s over, it’s done. You need to move on.”
Signs of healing emerged in 2013 when Eminem released the song “Headlights.” Fans interpreted the lyrics as an apology to Nelson, with lines such as, ‘“I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad.”’
Eminem’s father, who had gone missing since childhood, passed away in 2019 at the age of 67. Nelson is survived by her two sons, Eminem and Nathan Mathers.