Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, dies at 69. She inspired some of the rapper’s most scathing lyrics
Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, who inspired the lyrics for songs ranging from the scathing “My Mom” to the heartfelt “Headlights,” has died. She was 69.
Dennis Dennehy, a spokesperson for the Grammy-winning “Rap God” star, confirmed Nelson’s death to The Times on Tuesday. He did not disclose additional details or provide any comment from the rapper.
Nelson died Monday night at a hospital in St. Joseph, Mo., according to TMZ, which first reported her death. Reports about Nelson’s cancer first surfaced in September.
Nelson was 18 years old when she and high school sweetheart Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. welcomed Eminem (born Marshall Mathers III) on Oct. 17, 1972, in St. Joseph. A few years later, the spouses separated, leaving Nelson to care for their son by herself. Mother and son moved frequently but settled in Detroit.
Throughout his childhood, Eminem and his mother endured a fraught relationship — exacerbated by poverty — that eventually became fodder for multiple songs after he came to fame in the late 1990s. For his sophomore album, “The Slim Shady LP,” Eminem references his mother’s drug use and physical violence in tracks including “My Name Is” and “Brain Damage.”
“She beat me over the head with the remote control / Opened a hole and my whole brain fell out of my skull,” he raps in the latter. “I picked it up and screamed / ‘Look, b—, what have you done?’”
Nelson took legal action against her son in September 1999 for his album, alleging defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress through his lyrics, according to ABC News. At the time, she sought $11 million in damages, but a Macomb County judge awarded her $25,000 instead.
Despite the legal fallout, Eminem continued to tap his relationship with his mother for other songs, including 2002’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and 2009’s “My Mom.” The latter centers on her alleged drug use and how he picked up similar habits as a result.
“Valium was in everything, food I ate, the water that I drank … peas in my plate / She sprinkled just enough of it to season my steak,” he raps. Elsewhere in the song, Eminem describes more rampant drug use, being forced to eat food as a kid and the realization he’d become a drug addict. The rapper, who has long been open about his struggles with addiction, celebrated 16 years of sobriety this year.
In 2008, Nelson published her memoir, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” where she discussed their fractured relationship and alleged that she and her siblings had been abused by their stepfather when she was a child. The same year, she told the Village Voice in an interview that she was open to making amends with her estranged son.
“I’m not ever gonna give up on my kids. I won’t give up on anybody,” she said at the time. “There’s hope for everybody. It’s a matter of just basically swallowing your pride. It’s like a cashed check. It’s over, it’s done. You need to move on.”
A year later, during a 2009 appearance on music show “106 & Park,” Eminem confirmed he was not on speaking terms with his mother but said he had gained a “better understanding of what she was going through” over the years.
Their years-long feud seemingly simmered down in 2013, when Eminem released “Headlights” with Nate Ruess, frontman for indie pop band fun. Seemingly a letter to his mother, “Headlights” hears Eminem reference “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and contemplate, “Did I take it too far?”
“I don’t hate you ’cause, Ma, you’re still beautiful to me, ’cause you’re my mom,” he raps, before recalling the tense environment of their home and his father’s abandonment of them both. He also voices regret for his searing song and proclaims, “I love you, Debbie Mathers.”
In 2022, Nelson congratulated her son on X (formerly Twitter) for his 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,” Nelson said, according to People.
“I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride,” she added. “I’m very, very proud of you.”
Nelson was born in 1955 on a Kansas military base, the eldest child of a “large dysfunctional family,” she wrote in her memoir. After her parents divorced, she took on the responsibility to help provide for her younger siblings. Nelson is also the mother of Nathan Samra-Mathers. Eminem gained custody of his younger half-brother and then raised him after Nelson put Nathan in foster care as a child.
Nelson is preceded in death by her ex-husband, who died in June 2019. In addition to her two sons, she is survived by Eminem’s children, Alaina Marie Scott, Hailie Jade and Stevie Laine.
Times staff writer Malia Mendez contributed to this report.
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