Debbie Nelson's passing on Dec. 2, 2024, at the age of 69 has brought renewed attention to her complex relationship with son Eminem. Nelson, who was a smoker, died due to the effects of advanced lung cancer.

Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) reportedly has been helping out his mother financially for years in spite of their rocky relationship and extended periods of no contact.

A source close to Nelson told In Touch a few months prior that "Eminem is good to his mom. He makes sure he takes care of her, but they don't really talk."

"It would be good for both of them [to communicate]," the source added. "This could give them the chance to reconcile."

The source added they weren't sure whether Eminem knew then about his mom's declining health.

The rapper has had a rocky relationship with his mother, including public arguments and a defamation suit Nelson brought against him because of lyrics saying she had done drugs.

Debbie candidly described the tangled relationship between the two in her memoir, "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem."

"I'm not ever gonna give up on my kids ... there's hope for everybody," she said. "It's a matter of just basically swallowing your pride."

Eminem addressed grievances between himself and his mother in the song "Headlights," in which he apologized to her in 2013.

However, it is uncertain whether he was able to repair her relationship with his mom when she died.

Nonetheless, Eminem had kept his mother comfortable during her ill health, even as they had not spoken for years.

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