As a result of complications associated to lung cancer, Nelson passed away on Monday at the age of 69.
It would seem that Nathan “Nate” Mathers, Eminem’s half-brother, is expressing his condolences after the passing of their mother, Debbie Nelson.
On Tuesday, the day after the news of his mother’s passing was disclosed, Nate turned to social media to publish a statement on his Instagram Story. The post simply said, “Hatred and mixed emotions today.”
According to TMZ, which was the first news outlet to release the information on Nelson’s passing, Nelson passed away on Monday in St. Joseph, Missouri, at the age of 69, as a result of symptoms linked to lung cancer. For the first time, she was reported to be sick in September.
When Eminem, whose actual name is Marshall Mathers III, was 13 years old, Nelson gave birth to Nate, her youngest son, with her partner Fred Samra. Nate is her youngest son. There was a time when she was married to Eminem’s father, Marshall Mathers Jr., and the couple tied the wedding when Nelson was just 16 years old. 1972 was the year when the rapper was born, two years later.
After that, Eminem’s father left him and his mother when he was a newborn. The singer known as “The Real Slim Shady” remained alienated from his father until the time of his loss in 2019, when he was 67 years old.
Eminem was appointed his brother Nate’s legal guardian when Nate was 16 years old, after he had been in foster care for over ten years. This came after Eminem had been through ups and downs at home with Nelson.
During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2004, Eminem disclosed his decision to take care of his brother by saying, “I cried just going to see him at the foster home.” Rolling Stone was the publication that published the interview. My presence was the only one that was permitted to see him on the day that he was taken away. It was them who had arrived and rescued him from school. He had no idea what the f–k was going on in the real world. The identical thing that had occurred in my life was occurring in his life at the same time.
In the past, whenever he was taken away, I would always say that if I ever found myself in a position to take him, I would do it. “When I was twenty years old, I attempted to submit an application for full custody, but I was unable to do so because I lacked the financial resources,” he said.
Eminem, who notably sang about their mother in several of his earlier songs, including the single “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” from 2002, also had a turbulent connection with Nelson over the years. While it seems that Nathan had a turbulent relationship with Nelson throughout the years, Eminem had as well. Nelson filed a lawsuit against her son for defamation to the tune of eleven million dollars.
Despite everything that has happened, Nate, who is now married and has three children, has credited his older brother as being “the best role model I could have had.” He said this to Eminem’s daughter, Hailie Jade, during an appearance on her Just a Little Shady podcast in February 2023. “He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today,” Nate said.