Eminem’s mom, Debbie Nelson, dies age 69

Though Debbie Nelson was the bitter inspiration behind several of Eminem’s lyrical attacks, the rapper was “good to his mom,” and tried make things right with her before she died December 2, 2024, of lung cancer.

Considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, Eminem, born in 1972 as Marshall Mathers III, is renowned for his raw, unfiltered storytelling. Central to many of his songs is his complicated relationship with his mother, Debbie Nelson – a bond marked by both love and conflict, reconciliation and regret.

Raised by Nelson, who was only 18 when she birthed him, Eminem often described their home life as unstable, painting a grim picture of poverty, frequent moves, and emotional turmoil in his songs.

“I just found out my mom does more dope than I do! I told her I’d grow up to be a famous rapper/ Make a record about doin’ drugs and name it after her,” the “Real Slim Shady” snaps in his first chart-topping song “My Name Is.”

In the song “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” the Missouri-born rapper delivers some of his most scathing criticisms of his mother, referring to her as a “selfish b***h” and expressing a wish for her to “burn in hell.”

The lyrics also accuse her of “poppin’ prescription pills in the kitchen,” and asserts that his younger brother Nathan will know she’s “phony.” In addition, the anger-fueled words promise that she would not see her granddaughter Hailie, who “won’t even be at” Nelson’s “funeral.”

ABC reports that in 2001, Nelson sued her son for $11 million in a defamation lawsuit. The judge ruled in her favor, giving her only $25,000, and $23,354.25 went to her attorney.

Despite the turbulence, the rapper admitted that he loves her “because she’s mother.” According to Billboard, the “Stan” singer said, “I mean, even though we don’t really speak, she is my mother. I do love her, and I think I got a better understanding of what she was going through or what she may be going through, now that I see myself and how I actually became. I think that’s there a little compassion factor that goes with that.”

Not an abusive monster

In her 2008 memoir, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” Nelson shares a different perspective, attempting to “set the record straight” on “her life as Eminem’s mother”

“I’m not saying I was the perfect mother – far from it,” she writes. “I’ve been described as much maligned. Misunderstood is more accurate. Strangers assume they

know me because of songs like ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet (I’m Sorry Mama),’ but…only Marshall and I knew the truth. It wasn’t just the hurtful things involving alcohol and drugs. Everyone believed I was an evil, abusive monster.”

She adds, “I wanted to set the record straight to let both my sons know how much they are loved, despite our many struggles in life. And I want people to know the real me, not the person they think I am.”

‘I love you, Debbie Mathers’

Apologizing to his mother in his 2013 song “Headlights,” he references the lyrics targeting his mother in “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”: “But regardless, I don’t hate you ’cause, Ma/ You’re still beautiful to me, ’cause you’re my Ma…But I love you, Debbie Mathers.”

In the video, he’s seen hugging a woman, supposedly his mother, but viewers never see her face.

The song suggests that the two remained estranged, but when Eminem was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, his mom congratulated him online with a heartwarming message: “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you,” she said in the now deleted clip. “I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.”

Terminal cancer

In September 2024, several media outlets revealed that Nelson was in hospital, “terminally ill with advanced lung cancer.”

An anonymous source told In Touch that the “Lose Yourself” singer hadn’t visited his mother in Saint Joseph, Missouri – his hometown where Nelson continued to live – but he was looking after her financially.

“People around her aren’t even sure if Eminem is even aware of what is happening to his mother,” the insider said. “He’s good to his mom. He makes sure he takes care of her, but they don’t really talk. It would be good for both of them [to communicate]. This could give them the chance to reconcile.”

Though the “Not Afraid” rapper hasn’t spoken about Nelson’s death, on December 4, he shared a Facebook post announcing upcoming international tour dates, staring December 7 in Abu Dhabi.

He captions the post: “Well if you want Shady, this is what I’ll give ya…MIDDLE EAST 2024 RUN kicks off this week. Pull up!!!”

Fans used this post as a platform to offer their love and support: “So sorry for your loss Marshall, keep moving and pushing hard. True soldier,” writes one fan. A second shares, “My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Have an amazing tour and get back to the States safe. You are good!”

A third offers: “Your strength and capacity to keep focused is amazing. I lost my mother too and we had a different kind of relationship also, so I get it. Just make sure and keep doing what’s best for you and that’s all that matters.”

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Nathan – Eminem’s baby brother whom he was legal guardian over, shared an Instagram story after his mother’s death that reads, “Hatred and mixed emotions today.”

Perhaps his 28-year-old daughter Hailie Jade Scott, who was married in May 2024, will be at her grandmother’s funeral.

Please share your best wishes to Eminem in the comments section and then share this story so we can all send a lot of love to the family in their time of grieving.