Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Passes Away at 69 Following Battle With Lung Cancer

Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Passes Away at 69 Following Battle With Lung Cancer

  • Renowned American rapper Eminem mourns as he loses his 69-year-old mother, Debbie Nelson, to severe lung cancer
  • The Not Afraid hitmaker and his mother have had a rocky relationship that has played out in the public eye since the rapper rose to popularity over 25 years ago
  • Different sources have confirmed the news about Debbie's death, and Eminem's brother made a disturbing post recently

Debbie Nelson, the mother of hip hop star Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka Eminem, died on Monday, December 2, at the age of 69.

Eminem's representative confirmed the sad news. According to sources, Nelson died as a result of lung cancer complications.

Eminem loses mother
Eminem's mother dies at 69. Credit: @eminem
Source: Instagram

Nelson gave birth to Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, on October 17, 1972, when she was 17, making him her oldest son, according to the New York Times.

After her ex-husband, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. (who died in 2019), left the family, she became a single mother to Eminem and his half-brother, Nathan Mathers.

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"Hatred and mixed emotions today," Nathan said on Instagram Stories on December 3, likely referring to the news. 

Nelson's poor relationship with Eminem was mentioned in multiple songs in his early work; she even went as far as suing him for defamation for the 1999 hit "My Name Is," with lyrics like:

"99 percent of my life, I was lied to/I just found out my mom does more dope than I do (Damnn)."

She won the lawsuit and collected approximately $25,000. However, the lawsuit did not deter Eminem from composing further songs about his mother. His 2002 album, Cleanin' Out My Closet, was heavily critical of both of his parents.

Daily Mail reported that Debbie's memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life as Eminem's Mother, was published in 2007.

Although Debbie did not attend her son's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2022, she sent him a heartfelt video message.

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In the video, she expressed her pride, saying:

"Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame."

Eminem starred in the 2002 film '8 Mile', which was partially based on his childhood in a caravan park and his poor relationship with his mother.

In a throwback interview with BET, Eminem said of his mother:

"At the end of the day, she's my mother, and I love her because she's my mother.
"Even though we don't really speak, you know what I mean; 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, you know what I mean? Now when I see myself and how I actually became. I think there's a little compassion factored that goes with that."

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At the time, he stated they had not spoken for several years:

"It's probably been a couple of years. Maybe three, even four years."

Odumodu Blvck reacts to rap battle against Eminem

Odumodu Blvck lashed out a viral tweet on X, formerly Twitter, trying to get him into a rap battle with rapper Olanrewaju Ogunmefun David, aka Vector Tha Viper.

Odumodu, who once named Vector among his five greatest rappers of all time in Nigeria, humbly turned down the request as he stated that people were trying to set him up.

In a tweet, the rapper recalled how some fans wanted him to represent Nigeria in a rap battle against US star Eminem.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Chinasa Afigbo avatar

Chinasa Afigbo (Editor) Chinasa Afigbo is a pop culture/music journalist and content writer with over four years of experience in other mainstream media organisations, including Vanguard Media and Guardian Life. She holds a degree in Information Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). She also moved on to pursue courses in writing & media communications. Chinasa has also been published in other Intl journals, like The African Report. Reach her at: chinasa.afigbo@corp.legit.ng.