The Death Of Eminem's Mom, Debbie Nelson, Reveals Tragic Details About Their Relationship

Multiple Grammy Award winner Eminem — born Marshall Bruce Mathers III — has always seemed to have turbulent relationships with several members of his family, not least of which was his mother, Debbie Nelson, who passed away on December 3, 2024, at the age of 69. Her cause of death was complications from lung cancer, TMZ reported. One tragic detail about Eminem is the fact that Nelson once filed a lawsuit against her son, proving just how contentious their relationship often was.

Known for laying it all out there in his lyrics, the “Habits” rapper has written several songs throughout his career that throw barbs at those he felt had harmed him. Doing so often strained Eminem’s relationships with those closest to him. After the “Lose Yourself” rapper opened the brick-and-mortar location of his restaurant, aptly named Mom’s Spaghetti, it possibly appeared to some that his relationship with Nelson had maybe improved enough to give this subtle nod to her — but the eatery’s name is actually inspired by a lyric from his song “Lose Yourself.” Sources close to the family have also alleged that Nelson and Eminem might not have gotten a chance to reconcile before her untimely death — adding to the already tragic details about their relationship.

When Debbie Nelson was diagnosed with extensive lung cancer, a source close to her family told In Touch, “People around her aren’t even sure if Eminem is even aware of what is happening to his mother. He’s good to his mom. He makes sure he takes care of her, but they don’t really talk.” Throughout Eminem’s career, there’s been a pattern of the duo not speaking for extended intervals. In 1999, Nelson successfully sued her son for defamation after he alleged she abused drugs and alcohol during his formative years. Since then, we haven’t heard much from Eminem, and both he and Nelson loved each other from afar — although both had mentioned wanting to reconcile.

In 2008, Nelson told the Village Voice, “I’m not ever gonna give up on my kids. I won’t give up on anybody.” Opening the door further for a possible chance of reconnecting, Eminem appeared on BET’s “106 & Park” in 2009 to say, “Even though we don’t really speak … she is my mother. I do love her.” In 2013, Eminem released the song “Headlights,” where he apologized to his mom for what he put her through publicly. 

Even though Nelson did not attend Eminem’s 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, she did post a since-deleted video to X saying, “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you … I love you very much. … I’m very, very proud of you” (via People). However, sources close to the family still allege the two had tragically not spoken for quite a while leading up to Nelson’s death.