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Eminem has yet to come out with a statement after his mother Debbie Nelson passed away on December 2 after battling lung cancer. The singer and Nelson did not share a great relationship after Eminem portrayed her as a drug addict and an unstable influence in his life. In his 2002 track,Cleanin’ Out My Closet, the singer wrote some gut-wrenching lyrics about his mother.
Eminem first opened up about his mother’s issues in the 1999 rapMy Name Is. Nelson filed a lawsuit against her son, claiming that he defamed her in the song. She sought $10 million in damages and won the lawsuit, only to be paid a mere $1,646 after legal fees.
Eminem’s Lyrics Hit Different After Debbie Nelson’s Death
Eminem‘s mother Debbie Nelson died at the age of 69. As perTMZ, she passed away due to complications related to lung cancer on Monday, December 2. In September, a source had toldIn Touch Weeklythat she was“terminally ill with advanced lung cancer.”While Eminem hasn’t responded to the news, his younger brother Nate Mathers took to Instagram stories and wrote,“Hatred and mixed emotions today”(via Cinemablend).
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Eminem and his brother did not share a great relationship with their mother. He had opened up about her drug issues in his songs. Nelson had responded to her son’s allegations with lawsuits and even counter-raps. Eminem’s heartbreaking songCleanin’ Out My Closetgoes deeper into his relationship with his mother. He repeated in the chorus of the song:
I’m sorry, Mama, I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to make you cry, but tonight I’m cleanin’ out my closet.
However, it is the line mentioning his brother and his daughter, that hits differently after Nelson’s death. He shared in the lyrics to the 2002 song that his mother would be cold and lonely when she got older. He shared that his brother Nathan Mathers would recognize that she was a phony. He finally added thathis daughter Hailiewould never see her and wouldn’t attend her funeral. He shared in the lyrics:
But guess what, you’re gettin’ older now, and it’s cold when you’re lonely. And Nathan’s growin’ up so quick, he’s gonna know that you’re phony. And Hailie’s gettin’ so big now, you should see her, she’s beautiful. But you’ll never see her, she won’t even be at your funeral.
In 2009, he released the songMy Momfrom his sixth albumRelapse, with further allegations of his mother’s drug issues. However, he seemed to have a change of heart by 2013 after his own addiction struggles. In the songHeadlightsfrom his albumThe Marshall Mathers LP 2, he wrote some apologetic lines addressing his mother.
He admitted that he took it far with the lyrics ofCleanin’ Out My Closetand other songs. He shared that he loved her regardless, adding,“You’re still beautiful to me, ‘cause you’re my mom.”It appeared that there was some sort of reconciliation between the mother and the son.
Debbie Nelson Filed Lawsuit Against Her Own Son For Defamation
Debbie Nelson sought$11 million in damagesaccusing Eminem of defaming her in his songMy Name Is. In the song from the albumThe Slim Shady LP, Eminem rapped:
I just found out my mom does more dope than I do. I told her I’d grow up to be a famous rapper. Make a record about doin’ drugs and name it after her.
He did become a famous rapper as mentioned in the song andMy Name Ishad a great deal to do with it.The Slim Shadysold 283,000 copies in its first week of sale, making him a star. Nelson’s case against her son was settled in 2001 for just $25,000. However, the judge ordered that she pay her attorney $23,354, leaving her with just $1,646 (via The Independent).
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Nelson went on to join forces with the rap group Identity Unknown, aka ID-X, to respond to Eminem’s allegations through a rap. The resulting single,Set The Record Straight, included lines telling her son to take“responsibility for your own life.”
The singer’sCleanin’ Out My Closetwas a direct response to his mother’s song. Her relationship with Eminem allegedly improved over the years. In 2022, when Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she celebrated it from afar, posting a congratulatory tweet (via People).
Debbie Nelson wrote the 2008 autobiography,My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. Eminem was born to Nelson’s high school sweetheart Marshall Bruce Mathers while Nate was born to a man named Fred Sarma Jr.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
