Yahoo Lifestyle Eminem’s Mom, Debbie Nelson, Dies at 69
Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, whose turbulent relationship with her son was often documented in his rap songs, has died. She was 69. A representative for Eminem confirmed the news to Variety, though a cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Nelson gave birth to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, in 1972, when she was 18 years old. She married his father, Bruce Mathers, when she was 15 and he was 22. Bruce left the family shortly after Eminem was born, and Nelson raised him and his half-brother, Nathan, as a single mother.
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In a 1999 Rolling Stone interview, Eminem spoke about fighting with his mother and accused her of stealing his paychecks and taking drugs, which Nelson denied. A lyric from Eminem’s 1999 hit “My Name Is” (“I just found out my mom does more dope than I do”) caused Nelson to file a $10 million defamation lawsuit against her son, which she won.
Eminem continued to reference his mom in songs like “Kill You” (“My mama used to tell me these crazy things … I realized she was the crazy one”), lobbed expletives at her in “Cleaning Out My Closet” and further accused her of heavy drug use in “My Mom.”
In 2000, Nelson put out her own song “Dear Marshall,” in which she apologized to Eminem and said, “Marshall, I did the best I could.” She asked her son on the song to stop demeaning her.
In 2008, Nelson released a memoir titled “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” in which she defended herself against accusations of negligence and abuse.
Five years later, Eminem released the shocking song “Headlights,” in which he apologized to Nelson for airing out their relationship in his music and resenting her. “I don’t hate you ’cause, Ma / You’re still beautiful to me, ’cause you’re my Ma,” Eminem sang. In the song, he told Nelson he loves her and expresses regret that she does not have a relationship with her grandchildren.
Eminem’s relationship with his mother in recent years is unknown, though Nelson congratulated him on Twitter in 2022 for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I love you very much. I knew you’d get there,” she wrote. “It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.”
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