Throughout his rap career, Eminem has targeted many individuals, yet his mother decided to sue him over a particular song.
Those familiar with the rapper know that his relationship with his mother has been quite complicated.
Eminem has openly addressed this dynamic in his music, but it hasn’t always been advantageous for him.
In 1999, his mother, Debbie Nelson, threatened to sue Eminem for $10 million following a specific lyric in one of his songs.
Even prior to the song’s release, Eminem was vocal about their rocky relationship dating back to his childhood, often mentioning it in interviews.
In the track My Name Is from his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP, Eminem claimed his mom “smokes more dope than I do,” a line that provoked his estranged mother’s ire.
Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager, defended him at the time by stating: “Eminem’s life is reflected in his music.
“Everything he has said can be verified as true. Truth is an absolute defense to a claim of defamation. This lawsuit does not come as a surprise to Eminem.
“His mother has been threatening to sue him since the success of his single ‘My Name Is.’ It is merely the result of a lifelong strained relationship between him and mother.
“Regardless, it is still painful to be sued by your mother and therefore the lawsuit will only be dealt with through legal channels.”
Though the lawsuit succeeded to an extent, it didn’t end as lucratively as she might have hoped.
In 2001, two years after initiating the lawsuit, she received $25,000, but much of it went towards legal fees, leaving her with approximately $1,600.
Despite this outcome, Eminem continued to address conflicts in his lyrics.
A year after the legal dispute, Eminem released one of his most critical songs about his mother, Cleaning Out My Closet.
In the 2002 single he wrote: “Witnessing your momma popping prescription pills in the kitchen / B****** that someone’s always going through her purse and s’s missing / Going through public housing systems, victim of Munchausen syndrome.
“My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t / Till I grew up, now I blew up, it makes you sick to ya stomach.”
However, since the early 2000s, Eminem seems to have mended his relationship with his mother, refraining from performing the song at his concerts.
In 2014, he went so far as to apologize for the track in his single ‘Headlights,’ admitting he now feels discomfort when hearing it.
Publicly, it appears that they have reconciled, and the news of Debbie Nelson’s passing is likely a significant emotional blow to Eminem.
She passed away on December 2 due to complications from lung cancer, as confirmed by a representative for Eminem to both People and TMZ.