Legendary rapper Marshall ‘Eminem’ Mathers’ mother Debbie Nelson has died at the age of 69 after a long battle with advanced lung cancer.

Her diagnosis was revealed to the public in September.

Born in 1955 on a military base in the state of Kansas, Nelson grew up the eldest of five children in a challenging family environment. At 16, she married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr and welcomed her son, Eminem, two years later.

Nelson and Eminem, 52, shared a tumultuous relationship, often reflected in the rapper’s lyrics. She sued him for defamation in 2002, receiving only US$1,600 after legal fees. In later years, Nelson expressed hope for reconciliation, and Eminem appeared to address their relationship in his 2013 song Headlights.

Despite their past conflicts, Nelson celebrated her son’s successes, including his 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Nelson’s life was chronicled in her 2008 memoir My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.