Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, dies aged 69
Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, has passed away at the age of 69.
Eminem's spokesperson, Dennis Dennehy, confirmed her passing on Tuesday.
The exact cause of death has not been confirmed, but Ms. Nelson had been fighting lung cancer.
Eminem, born Marshall Mathers III, frequently expressed the difficult relationship he had with his mother through his songs.
In two of his best-known tracks, "My Name Is" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet," he claims that Ms. Nelson struggles with substance abuse and has been neglectful.
In the popular song "Cleanin' Out My Closet" from 2002, he mentions seeing his mother taking prescription medication in the kitchen. He goes on to say that she was attempting to take credit for something he accomplished without her support.
Later that year, Kim Basinger portrayed a fictionalized version of his mother, who struggles with alcoholism, in the semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, which also features the rapper.
Ms. Nelson filed and resolved two defamation lawsuits concerning comments made by Eminem in various magazines and during radio talk shows.
In her 2008 book, *My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem*, she sought to clarify the truth about certain matters.
According to the book's description, she was a single mom with big dreams for her son, but instead, she ended up being slandered and excluded once he achieved them, as reported by NBC, Sky News' partner network in the US.
She also provided insights into the rapper's upbringing, mentioning that Eminem seemed to have lost touch with the happy memories they once shared.
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As time passed, the conflict between the two appeared to ease a bit. The rapper expressed remorse to Ms. Nelson in his 2013 track "Headlights."
"Even now, we are still distant, and it bothers me," he raps, continuing, "You never got to see your grandkids grow up. I regret writing 'Cleanin' Out My Closet,' Mom. I was upset back then—was it justified? Perhaps. But I never intended for it to go that far."
Ms. Nelson also expressed her pride for her son in 2022 after he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as reported by Billboard. In a video she released at the time, she said, "I love you so much. I always believed you would reach this milestone. It has been quite a journey. I couldn't be prouder of you."
