Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Passes Away After Cancer Battle

Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Has Died — First Details

Rap legend Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, lost her fight with severe lung cancer and passed away at the age of 69.

Dennis Dennehy, Eminem’s agent, verified her death on Monday, December 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri, according to TMZ.

When Debbie’s terminal diagnosis was initially made public in September, it was said that she would not have much time left.

Online, AmoMama readers expressed their condolences, acknowledging the impact of lung cancer and expressing sympathy for the 52-year-old performer.

“RIP,” one reader wrote. One person typed, “Way too young, RIP,” while another said, “Lung cancer is terrible and all other cancers.”

“I hope Eminem is okay,” a third person remarked.

Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., Eminem’s father and Debbie’s ex-husband, passed away from a heart attack in his Fort Wayne, Indiana, home in 2019. Her death occurred years after his death.

In his songs, Eminem often talked about his father’s absence, revealing how Bruce abandoned the family when he was only a child.

Father and son never met, even though Bruce made an effort to make amends later in life, including writing a letter outlining his version of events.

After they split up, Debbie, who married Bruce when she was fifteen, reared Eminem mostly by herself.

She eventually got married again and had another son, Nathan, but she continued to struggle personally and financially.

She and Eminem had a turbulent relationship that was often displayed in public.

When Debbie launched a $11 million defamation lawsuit against him in 1999, alleging that songs on his debut album, “The Slim Shady LP,” inaccurately portrayed her as harsh and uncaring, the tension turned into a court battle.

Debbie was given $25,000 by a Macomb County Circuit Court judge in 2001, but just $1,600 remained after $23,354.25 of that sum went to her lawyer, Fred Gibson, because of an earlier contract Debbie had signed.

According to the agreement, Debbie had to pay Fred for defending her ex-husband, John Briggs, who was found guilty of home invasion and malicious destruction of property and served nine months in prison, using the money from the case.

Later, Debbie tried to fire Fred, saying she had been forced to accept the settlement, but the court dismissed her claim, saying she had given up the right to contest the deal.

Looking back on the case, Fred said, “That amount was a far cry to the time I dedicated to her personally and to the legal action.” He also called Debbie “the most high-maintenance client” of his entire career.

As Eminem’s career took off, Debbie frequently found herself in the spotlight, so she was no stranger to difficulties.

“My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life” was finally released in 2008, although she had already declared ambitions to publish a memoir as early as 2001.

She attempted to challenge the narratives in his songs by offering her own viewpoint on their complex relationship in the book.

Later that year, Debbie told Village Voice that she was dealing with health issues, some of which she thought were inherited.

Heart disease, cancer, and other hereditary conditions are all examples. During the interview, Debbie stated, “I worry about my boys, having high blood pressure and things.”

She also talked about the challenges of being in the spotlight as the mother of one of the most well-known rappers in the world, frequently having to cope with negative public opinions and unwelcome attention.

“After engaging in numerous games with me, some of my doctors have revealed to me that they have shrines to my son in their houses. Then tell me, “I heard that little brat beat you everyday,” and pull me aside. And you think, ‘What? “What’s that got to do with me being here? It’s very depressing,” she remembered.

Debbie also complained about being called “Eight Mile” by some Southern police officers, alluding to the semi-autobiographical Eminem movie.

She believed that these comments were the result of a lack of comprehension, pointing out that the representation in the film did not correspond with her own experiences.

“I’m just thinking, ‘Ignorance is bliss,'” she stated. “It’s not a true story.”

The mother-son pair has been working towards reconciliation in recent years; Eminem recently apologised for his harsh remarks in his song “Headlights” from 2013.

Later, Debbie publicly supported her son by congratulating him on being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.