Debbie Nelson, mother of rapper Eminem, passed away at 69 on Monday night in St. Joseph, Missouri, following a battle with advanced lung cancer. Diagnosed as terminal in September, her illness highlighted the strained relationship between her and Eminem, 52, who had been financially supporting her despite years of silence between them.
Nelson gave birth to Eminem (Marshall Mathers III) in 1972 and later gained attention for their tumultuous bond, including a 1999 defamation lawsuit over his lyrics. In 2008, she released a memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, detailing their struggles. Despite the tension, Eminem apologized in his 2013 song “Headlights,” and Nelson expressed love for him in a 2022 congratulatory video for his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Her death marks the end of a complex chapter in Eminem’s life, closing the book on a relationship defined by both love and conflict.
