Eminem's mom, Debbie Nelson, has reportedly died following a battle with lung cancer. She was 69.
TMZ reports Nelson passed away last night (December 2) in St. Joseph, Missouri, which has been confirmed by Eminem's rep, Dennis Dennehy.
The rapper (real name Marshall Mathers) and his estranged mother had a fairly acrimonious and dysfunctional relationship over the years, which was put on full display in his first commercial single, "My Name Is," where he joked about her drug use with the line, "I just found out my mom does more dope than I do."
Nelson would sue Mathers for $11 million in 1999 for defamation of character in 1999; the case was settled out of court two years later for $25,000, only $1,600 of which was given to her. He referenced the settlement in 2002's "Without Me," rapping, "I just settled all my lawsuits, f**k you Debbie!"
Eminem would continue to humiliate Nelson in songs such as "Cleanin' Out My Closet," in which he raps, "You selfish b**ch, I hope you f**kin' burn in hell," and "My Mom," where he blamed her for his drug addiction.
In 2007, Nelson published a book titled My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, which told her side of the story and accused Mathers of creating a false narrative about their relationship to help him succeed as a rapper.
In 2013, however, the two seemed to turn a corner with Eminem dedicating the song "Headlights" to his mom, with the lyrics, "I don't hate you, cause 'ma, you're still beautiful to me, 'cause you're my mom." The music video went on to demonstrate a reconciliation between a son and his mother.