IN 1972, Deborah “Debbie” Nelson gave birth to Marshall Bruce Mathers III, a man that the world would come to know as Eminem.
Sadly, Debbie passed away on December 3, 2024, after a gruelling battle with lung cancer.
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Life in Missouri and Michigan
Debbie was born on January 6, 1955, in Missouri.
She met her future husband, Marshall Bruce II, at Lancaster High School and eventually gave up education at the age of 15 to marry her beau.
Three years later, she gave birth to her son Marshall III who would later become known as Eminem.
Debbie’s husband left the family shortly after Marshall III’s birth which forced Debbie to work long hours in low-paid jobs.
The family moved around frequently and eventually settled in a working-class area in Detroit, Michigan.
Eminem’s career began to take off in 1997, when he developed his now iconic Slim Shady persona.
Mother to Slim Shady
Eventually, Debbie and Eminem became estranged.
Eminem would often talk about his troubled childhood in interviews and would open up his experience as a working-class person in America.
In 1999, she sued her son for alleging in his songs that she abused illegal substances while he was a child.
Later, in 2008, Debbie published a book entitled My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem where she accused the rapper of lying about her parenting to become more popular.
Eventually, their relationship began to heal when Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In 2010, it was falsely reported that Debbie had died when, in fact, a woman named Edna Schwartz had passed away.
Eminem had often referred to Edna as his mother during interviews.
In the 2013 Headlights, Eminem spoke openly about his relationship with Debbie.
His mother even appeared in the video, marking a new chapter in their relationship.
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Debbie’s tragic passing
Sadly, Debbie passed away in Missouri on December 2, 2024.
She had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and had made her diagnosis public in September 2024.
The rapper has yet to publicly comment on the death of his 69-year-old mother.