Eminem has returned to the stage following his mom Debbie Nelson‘s death.
While the rapper has not publicly spoken out about his mother’s passing, he did refrain from saying the line “f–k you, Debbie” from his 2002 smash hit “Without Me” at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix on Dec. 7.
While performing onstage, Eminem—born Marshall Bruce Mathers III—chose to let the audience scream out the lyrics instead, according to the New York Post.
And though some fans believe the omission was the 52-year-old’s subtle way of paying tribute to Debbie, with who he had a complicated mother-son relationship, others pointed out that the lyric change has been in place for decades.
In fact, Eminem did not say the line when he performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards three months after the track’s release.
The 15-time Grammy winner also allowed the crowd to fill in the controversial lyrics while performing at the Austin F1 Grand Prix this October.
Inside Eminem’s Complicated Relationship With His Late Mom Debbie Nelson
Debbie received a $25,000 settlement as part of the legal proceedings, prompting him to put the matriarch on blast in 2002’s The Eminem Show, which includes “Without Me” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
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In 2011, it appeared that the “Stan” emcee had a change of heart. “Even though we don’t really speak, she is my mother, I do love her,” he told BET at the time. “And I think I got a better understanding of what she was going through or what she may be going through.”
Eminem later apologized to Debbie in his 2013 song “Headlights,” saying that he was sorry for what he said about her in the past.
“At the time I was angry, rightfully? Maybe so / Never meant that far to take it though,” he rapped on the track. “‘Cause now I know it’s not your fault, and I’m not makin’ jokes / That song I no longer play at shows / And I cringe every time it’s on the radio.”
For a complete guide to Eminem’s family, keep reading.
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Kim Mathers
Born Kimberly Ann Scott, the Michigan native was Eminem’s high school sweetheart. She welcomed their daughter Hailie Jade in 1995.
Kim was married to the rapper from 1999 to 2001, and briefly again in 2006. Their tumultuous relationship has been referenced in several of Eminem’s songs, including “’97 Bonnie & Clyde,” “Puke” and “Bad Husband.”
“In our relationship, there’s a pattern,” Kim said of their on-and-off romance in a 2007 interview with 20/20. ” We’ll have two good years and then it will go bad for some reason. It’s like a two-year max with us and we hadn’t reached the two years yet. I just didn’t want to rush into anything before the two years.”
However, Kim noted that Eminem has always been an “excellent” father.
“He loves the kids very much,” she shared. “He’s always lending a helping hand.”
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Hailie Jade Scott
Eminem and Kim welcomed Hailie on Dec. 25, 1995. According to music star, her birth was a “real wake-up call” to “get my a– in gear.”
“Everything that I am doing right now is for Hailie,” he told Q magazine in 2001. “The money—it’s for her college.”
She spent most of her youth under Eminem’s 15,000-square-foot roof in the Detroit suburbs, before attending Michigan State University to study psychology. There, she met her now-husband Evan McClintock, who she married in May 2024 after getting engaged the year prior.
“She’s doing good,” Eminem said of Hailie during a 2020 episode of Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson, adding that the influencer—who now goes by Hailie Jade—graduated from college with a 3.9 GPA. “She’s made me proud for sure.”
In October 2024, Hailie announced her pregnancy with her and Evan’s first child, a baby boy.
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Alaina Marie Scott
Born on Feb. 22, 1993, Alaina is the daughter of Kim’s sister Dawn Scott.
She was adopted by Eminem in the early aughts due to her mother’s struggles with addiction. “I have full custody of my niece and joint custody of Hailie,” the 8 Mile star told Rolling Stone in 2004. “I was always there for Hailie, and my niece has been a part of my life ever since she was born. Me and Kim pretty much had her, she’d live with us wherever we was at.”
Having been largely raised by Eminem, the Oakland University alum calls him “dad” and had him accompany her down the aisle when she wed Matt Moeller in June 2023.
“He wasn’t going to miss that,” she told People after the nuptials, during which Hailie served as a Maid of Honor. “None of this would have been possible without my dad. I’m beyond blessed.”
Her mother passed away in 2016 at the age of 41.
