Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, dies aged 69

Debbie Nelson, the mother of famous rapper Eminem, has sadly passed away at the age of 69. Her relationship with her son was often troubled, and this was reflected in much of Eminem's earlier music. Dennis Dennehy, Eminem's representative, confirmed the news of her death to the media in the United States. While the exact cause of her death has not been disclosed, it is known that she had been battling lung cancer. Eminem has not yet made any public statements regarding his mother's passing. The complicated relationship between Eminem and his mother was most clearly expressed in one of his biggest hits, Cleanin' Out My Closet. In this 2002 song, Eminem openly accused her of drug abuse and neglect. He rapped, 'Witnessin' your mama poppin' prescription pills in the kitchen,' and later added, 'keep telling yourself that you was a mom. ' In 1999, Debbie Nelson even took legal action against her son for defamation over another of his songs, My Name Is. However, she later revealed that it was her lawyer's idea to sue, and they eventually settled out of court for $25,000. Eminem has also faced his own struggles with prescription drugs, and he has connected his experiences with addiction to those of his mother. In a 2009 track titled My Mom, he stated, 'that's why I'm on what I'm on 'cause I'm my mom. ' In 2008, Debbie Nelson published a memoir called My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, in which she expressed her heartbreak over the claims made by her son. Despite their rocky relationship, she showed support for Eminem when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Over the years, it seemed that the tension between them had eased somewhat. In his 2013 song Headlights, Eminem expressed regret for some of his earlier lyrics, rapping, 'I’m sorry, Mama, for Cleanin’ Out My Closet. ' He acknowledged that he was angry at the time but never intended to take things too far. Although they remained mostly estranged for much of her life, when Eminem received the honor of being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Debbie publicly congratulated him. In a video that was later deleted, she said, 'Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you. I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.