Eminem’s mom Debbie Nelson’s cause of death, confirmed

Debbie Nelson, the mother of iconic rapper Eminem, passed away at the age of 69 on Dec. 2, 2024, in Missouri, as confirmed by Eminem’s representative, Dennis Dennehy, and first reported by TMZ. 

In Sept. 2024, news of Nelson’s ill health hit the headlines, with a source saying that she was “terminally ill.” At that time, the source said that Nelson didn’t have many options in terms of her health and had a “very limited amount of time” left. According to TMZ, she lost her battle with advanced lung cancer and died in a hospital. No other details were shared by Dennehy or Nelson’s family.

In 1972, Nelson was just 18 years old when she gave birth to Marshall Bruce Mathers III, more popularly known as Eminem, in St. Joseph, Missouri. She and Eminem’s father separated, and she raised him as a single mother in Detroit. Their tumultuous relationship and the hardships they experienced were common themes in the rapper’s earlier works.

In 1999, Nelson filed an $11 million lawsuit against her son for defamation of character, citing his lyrics and statements in interviews about his upbringing. The case was settled two years later for $25,000. After subtracting legal fees, however, she only received about $1,600 of the settlement fee. In 2008, Nelson released the book My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, wherein she details her tragic life and her relationship with her son. In the book, Nelson revealed that despite their difficulties, they also had some good times and were once close. “Marshall and I were so close that friends and relatives commented that it was as if the umbilical cord had never been cut,” Nelson wrote.

Eminem apologized to his mom in a song

Over time, the animosity between mother and son seemed to subside. In 2011, the rapper said in an interview with BET that she and Nelson were not on speaking terms, but the love was still there. “She is my mother, I do love her… and I think I got a better understanding of what she was going through or what she may be going through,” Eminem stated. Two years later, Eminem offered an apology to Nelson in the song “Headlights,” where he wrote that despite their estranged relationship, he’d always love her from afar. “And I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad,” Eminem rapped. 

In 2022, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although Debbie was not present at the ceremony, she shared a video message via Twitter congratulating his son for the achievement. Nelson said, “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame. I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.”

It isn’t clear what Nelson’s relationship was like with Eminem in the months before her passing, but an insider said in Sept. that Eminem took care of his mother financially, but has not communicated with her for years.