Eminem’s half-brother, Nathan “Nate” Kane Mathers, shared a devastating five-word reaction to the death of their mother, Debbie Nelson. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the 38-year-old shared a post on his Instagram Stories, seemingly about the loss of his mother, who had passed away the previous day.
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“Hatred and mixed emotions today,” the blunt post read.
Debbie passed away on Monday, December 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri, at the age of 69 due to complications from lung cancer. Several outlets first reported her illness in September.
Per Page Six, Debbie gave birth to her youngest son, music producer Nathan, with her partner, Fred Samra, when Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, was 13 years old.
She was previously married to Marshall Mathers Jr., Eminem’s father, with the couple marrying when she was just 16 years old. Two years later, in 1972, the rapper was born.
However, Eminem’s father abandoned him and his mother when he was still an infant. The two remained estranged throughout his life, with no reconciliation before Marshall Jr.’s death at the age of 67 in 2019.
Meanwhile, Nate entered foster care at the age of eight. At 16, Eminem adopted him, giving him the stability and support he needed.
Eminem and His Brother Had a Complex Relationship with Their Mother
The 52-year-old veteran rapper has drawn inspiration from his complex relationship with his mother, channeling it into his music, most notably in his 2002 hit “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
Believing Eminem’s work misrepresented her, Debbie filed a $11 million defamation lawsuit against her son. She ended up winning only $1,600 per People.
Despite the rocky relationship, in later years, Eminem seemed to acknowledge he was a bit hard on his mother.
“I went in headfirst, never thinking about who what I said hurt / My mom probably got it the worst,” he rapped in his 2013 song “Headlights.”
So far, Eminem hasn’t commented on his mother’s death. It’s unknown if they spoke before her passing.