Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, has died. She was 69.
A rep for Eminem confirms to PEOPLE that Nelson died in the evening on Monday, Dec. 2, in St. Joseph, Mo., from complications related to lung cancer. TMZ was first to report the news of Nelsonâs death.
News of her illness was first reported by multiple outlets in September.
Never miss a story â sign up for PEOPLEâs free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offerââ, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Â
Nelson was born in 1955 on a military base in Kan. and said she grew up in a âlarge dysfunctional family,â according to her 2008 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. Her parents split up before she turned 10, she wrote in the book, leaving her responsible to provide for the family as the oldest of five children.
At age 16, she married Eminemâs father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. Two years later, she welcomed the âLose Yourselfâ rapper in 1972.
Eminem, 52, and Nelson had a rocky relationship throughout her life. He apparently called her out in his 2002 song âCleaninâ Out My Closet,â which led to Nelson suing her son for $11 million for defamation.
ABC News reported that while the judge ruled in her favor, Nelson was only granted $25,000 of the $11 million dollars she asked for. Ultimately, she was only entitled to about $1,600 after lawyer fees.
Nelson considered reconciling with Eminem in a 2008 interview with The Village Voice. âThereâs hope for everybody,â she said at the time. âItâs a matter of just basically swallowing your pride. Itâs like a cashed check. Itâs over, itâs done. You need to move on.â
In 2013 when the rapper released âHeadlights,â fans speculated that it was his apologizing to Nelson. âAnd Iâm mad I didnât get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad,â he sings in one part of the song. âSo Mom, please accept this as a tribute I wrote on this jet.â
She celebrated her son from afar in recent years. When he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she congratulated him online.
âMarshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,â she said in a since-deleted video.
âI love you very much. I knew youâd get there. Itâs been a long ride,â added Nelson at the time. âIâm very, very proud of you.â
Eminemâs estranged father died in 2019 at 67. Along with Eminem, Nelson is survived by son Nathan Mathers.
Read the full article here