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Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, has passed away at the age of 69 after battling lung cancer.
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Nelson’s tumultuous relationship with her son was famously depicted in several of his hit songs, including “Cleaning Out My Closet” and “My Name Is.”
Eminem, born Marshall Mathers III, often used his lyrics to express feelings of anger and frustration towards his mother, even referencing her struggles with prescription drugs.
The relationship between them became strained, leading Nelson to file defamation lawsuits against her son in the late 1990s.
Despite the earlier tensions, over the years their relationship improved, with Eminem expressing regret and apologising in his 2013 song “Headlights.”
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Nelson, who had battled lung cancer, publicly reconciled with her son, celebrating his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022.
Born in Kansas in 1955, Nelson raised Eminem as a teenager.
READ ALSO:8 things to know about Eminem’s late mother, Debbie Nelson
In her 2008 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, she reflected on their once-close bond and her difficult childhood.
Eminem’s representative confirmed her passing but did not disclose the cause of death beyond her battle with cancer.
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