Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Has Died — First Details
|Debbie Nelson, the mother of rap icon Eminem, has died at 69 following a battle with advanced lung cancer.
TMZ reported that Eminem’s representative, Dennis Dennehy, confirmed she died on Monday, December 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Debbie Nelson poses for a portrait outside her Detroit home in September 2005 | Source: Getty Images
Debbie’s terminal diagnosis was first revealed in September, with reports indicating she had limited time left.
AmoMama readers shared their condolences online, sympathizing with the 52-year-old musician and acknowledging the impact of lung cancer.
Eminem performs at the 92nd Oscars in Hollywood on February 9, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
One reader commented, “RIP. Lung cancer is terrible and all other cancers,” while another typed, “Way too young, RIP.”
A third added, “Poor Eminem hope he be ok [sic].”
Debbie’s passing comes years after the death of her ex-husband and Eminem’s father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., who died in 2019 from a heart attack at his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Eminem frequently addressed his father’s absence in his music, sharing how Bruce left the family when Eminem was just a toddler.
Despite attempts by Bruce to reconcile later in life, including a public letter explaining his side of the story, father and son never met.
Debbie, who married Bruce at 15, raised Eminem largely on her own after their separation.
Eminem on January 1, 1999 | Source: Getty Images
She later remarried and had another son, Nathan, but faced persistent financial instability and personal struggles.
Her relationship with Eminem was often tumultuous and frequently played out in public.
Eminem performs at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 5, 1999 | Source: Getty Images
In 1999, this tension escalated into a legal battle when Debbie filed an $11 million defamation lawsuit against him, claiming that lyrics on his debut album, “The Slim Shady LP,” falsely depicted her as neglectful and abusive, damaging her reputation.
Debbie Nelson holds a handwritten poster of Eminem...