Eminem’s half-brother, Nate Mathers, broke his silence after their mom Debbie Nelson died at age 69.
Nate, 38, shared a post on his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, the day after his mom lost her battle with lung cancer, and alluded to their turbulent relationship.
“Hatred and mixed emotions today,” Nate wrote.
TMZ confirmed that Nelson died Monday night in St. Joseph, Mo., after a battle with advanced lung cancer.
It was reported by In Touch in September that Nelson was “terminally ill” and had “a very limited amount of time left.”
A source also told the outlet that Eminem, 52, was supporting his mom financially despite not speaking to her for “years.”
The rapper has yet to publicly comment on his mom’s death.
Nelson was 18 years old when she had Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III) with her high school sweetheart, Marshall Mathers Jr. They got divorced after Eminem’s birth.
When Eminem was 13 years old, Nelson welcomed her second son, Nate, with her then-boyfriend Fred Samra.
Nate was in foster care from when he was 8 to 16, after which Eminem became his young brother’s legal guardian.
“When he was taken away I always said if I ever get in a position to take him, I would take him,” the Grammy Award winner recalled to Rolling Stone in 2004. “I tried to apply for full custody when I was 20, but I didn’t have the means. I couldn’t support him.”
“I watched him when he was in the foster home,” Eminem continued about his brother. “He was so confused. I mean, I cried just goin’ to see him at the foster home. The day he was taken away I was the only one allowed to see him. They had come and got him out of school. He didn’t know what the f–k was goin’ on.”
Nate, who is now married with three kids, praised his big brother on Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade’s podcast last year.
“He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today,” Nate said.
Eminem and Nate both became estranged from their mother. The famous musician even dissed Nelson in his music, including in the lyrics to his 2002 track “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” In response, Nelson sued her son for defamation.
According to ABC News, Nelson won the lawsuit but only received $25,000 after asking for $11 million. She reportedly walked away with less than $2,000 after lawyer fees.
It’s unclear if Eminem and Nate made amends with their mom before her death.
But in 2022, Nelson congratulated her oldest son on his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a now-deleted video on X (formerly Twitter).
“Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,” Nelson said.
“I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you,” she added.
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