Report: Eminem’s Mother, Debbie Nelson, Dead at 69

Debbie Nelson, mother to Eminem, is reportedly dead at 69.

According to TMZ, who was first to report the news on Tuesday, Nelson died this week at a hospital in Missouri following a lung cancer battle. Additional information was not immediately available.

Em and his mother’s relationship was a complicated one, and very publicly so. Lifelong Em fans need no explanation on the specifics, though it’s worth pointing out in light of this week’s news that “Headlights,” a Nate Ruess-featuring song released back in 2013 as part of his Marshall Mathers LP sequel, saw the 15-time Grammy winner taking a hard look at his past lyrics about Nelson.

In the first verse of the track, which he later told Zane Lowe contains “everything that I need to say” about the relationship, Em rapped:

"I went in headfirst, never thinkin' about who what I said hurt
In what verse, my mom probably got it the worst
The brunt of it, but as stubborn as we are, did I take it too far?"

Em also specifically mentioned his 2002 Eminem Show hit “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” which took a more frustration-fueled approach to looking back on his younger years and his relationship with his mother, pictured above at a Detroit event circa 2005.

This story is being updated.