Eminem’s mother Debbie Nelson has died aged 69

Nelson in 2005.
Photo: Mark Weiss/Getty Images

Debbie Nelson, mother of rapper Eminem, died on Monday, December 2, at the age of 69, the New York reports Just. Vulture confirmed the news with Eminem’s rep. People reports that Nelson died of complications from lung cancer. Nelson gave birth to Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, on October 17, 1972, when she was 17, and he is her eldest son. Her ex-husband, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. (who died in 2019), left her family shortly after Eminem’s birth and she became a single mother to Eminem and his half-brother Nathan Mathers. “Hate and mixed emotions today,” Nathan wrote on Instagram Stories on December 3, seemingly referring to the news. Nelson’s strained relationship with Eminem was discussed in several songs in his early music; She even went so far as to sue him for defamation over the 1999 single “My Name Is,” with lyrics like “99 percent of my life I’ve been lied to/I just found out my mother does more drugs than me ( damn).” She won the lawsuit and received about $25,000.

However, the lawsuit never stopped Eminem from writing more songs about his mother. 2002’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” heavily criticized both of his parents: “Well, I would never diss my own mom just to get recognition. Take a second to listen before you think this record is dissin. / But imagine yourself.” In my position, I just try to imagine your mom popping prescription pills in the kitchen or someone constantly going through her purse and missing them.” In one of his most famous lyrics (“Mom’s Spaghetti” in ” Lose Yourself), he lovingly referred to his mother and eventually opened a restaurant and pasta line of the same name.