Eminem is known for rapping about his childhood and past experiences, and his strained relationship with his mum has often been a hot topic.
The 48-year-old star was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in October 1972 to his parents Deborah Nelson and Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr.
When his parents split up, Eminem and Debbie shuttled between Michigan and Missouri, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and living primarily with family members.
After finding fame as a rapper, Eminem made no secret of the fact that his childhood had been difficult and often referred to his mum in his songs.
Eminem has made no secret of the fact that he has had a difficult relationship with his mother (Image: Getty Images)
In the 1999 track ‘My Name Is’, he raps: “I just found out my mom does more dope than I do. I told her I’d grow up to be a famous rapper. Make a record about doin’ drugs and name it after her.”
That same year, Debbie sued him for $10 million (£7.3 million), claiming he was slandering her on The Slim Shady LP.
At the time, Eminem’s lawyer Paul Rosenberg issued the following statement: “Eminem’s life is reflected in his music. Everything he has said can be verified as true.
Eminem with his mum Debbie and his young daughter Hailie back in 2001 (Image: Wenn)
“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,” he added.
Litigation concluded in 2001, and Debbie received $25,000, but $23,354.25 of it went to her lawyer.
Debbie raised Eminem as a single mum after his father Marshall Bruce left when he was young
However, the references to his mum didn’t stop there and in 2002’s ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’, he states his mother suffers from Münchausen syndrome by proxy, and had made him believe he was sick – when he wasn’t – his whole life.
And in the track ‘My Mom’, he said his mother had a valium addiction, and would sprinkle valium on his food when he was a kid.
The lyrics included: “The water that I drank, f**kin’ peas in my plate, she sprinkled just enough of it to season my steak,” and he later claimed this was how he became addicted to valium.
Eminem has rapped about his mum and his childhood a lot in many of his hit songs (Image: The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)
Debbie denied Eminem’s accusations and insisted that his upbringing was fine.
During an interview with Inside Edition, she said: “He was spoiled rotten. Anything he wanted, I made sure that I’d take my last dime and get it for him. I mean he was my only child for fourteen years.”
In 2008, she released a memoir entitled ‘My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem’, in which she spoke about her own upbringing as well as Eminem’s.
However, years later Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer and the tension between the mother and son pair seemed to simmer down a bit.
Eminem released the song ‘Headlights’ in 2013 in which he refers to his past with his mum, but this time in a positive way.
He raps about multiple things, the most important being his love for her, forgiving her, and apologising for taking things too far.
Debbie is currently married to her husband John Briggs, has three grandchildren, and is living comfortably with a reported net worth of $700,000.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
