Eminem is subtly reacting to the death of his mom, Debbie Nelson, who died at age 69 after a battle with lung cancer.
The Grammy-winning rapper, 52, appeared to give a nod to her as he performed at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix event at the Yas Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
According to a report, Eminem left out the lyric “F–k you Debbie” during his set for his 2002 track, “Without Me.”
Eminem’s half-brother, Nate Mathers, previously revealed he was struggling over their mom’s passing.
“Hatred and mixed emotions today,” Nate wrote earlier this week when the news of Nelson’s death made headlines.
Debbie Nelson died after a battle with lung cancer.JUDIE BURSTEIN/ZUMA Wire / SplashNews.com
Eminem and Nate had a complicated relationship with their mother.Getty Images
TMZ confirmed that Nelson lost her fight with cancer on Monday night in St. Joseph, Mo.
In September, In Touch reported that Eminem’s mom was “terminally ill” and had “a very limited amount of time left.”
An insider alleged that the “Lose Yourself” rapper had supported Nelson financially despite not speaking to her for “years.”
Debbie sued Eminem for defamation in 1999 for $11 million.Getty ImagesNelson welcomed Eminem — real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III — with her high school sweetheart, Marshall Mathers Jr. The pair ended their relationship shortly after the star’s birth.
Before Eminem opened up about Nelson’s death, he shared a promo post for his December shows in the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1 Grand Prix (Dec. 7), Bahrain (Dec. 10) and Riyadh (Dec. 12).
“Well if you want Shady, this is what I’ll give ya…” MIDDLE EAST 2024 RUN kicks off this week 🎤 pull up!!!” he instructed his 45.4 million Instagram fans on Wednesday, making no mention of his late mom.
Eminem and Nelson had a turbulent relationship — with the rapper accusing his mom of abusing prescription pills during his childhood.
She even sued her famous son in 1999 for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress over the lyrics on Eminem’s debut CD, “The Slim Shady LP,” according to ABC News. Nelson won the lawsuit but only received $25,000 and walked away with less than $2,000 after lawyer fees, per the outlet.
Eminem continued to rap about his mom after she won damages from the suit.Getty Images
Nate’s statement about Debbie’s death.
Despite the lawsuit, Eminem continued to rap about Nelson, most notably in his 2002 hit song “Cleanin’ Out the Closet.” The mother-son back-and-forth continued, with Nelson writing a tell-all 2007 memoir, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.”
The rapper’s half-brother also had a complicated relationship with Nelson.
Nate was in foster care from age 8 to 16 before Eminem became his legal guardian.WireImage
Eminem’s half-brother Nate.Instagram/nathankanemathers
Nate, now 38, was in foster care from 8 to 16 before Eminem became his legal guardian.
In 2004, the “8 Mile” actor reflected on taking over guardianship of his little brother.
“When he was taken away I always said if I ever get in a position to take him, I would take him,” Eminem told Rolling Stone at the time. “I tried to apply for full custody when I was 20, but I didn’t have the means.”
“I watched him when he was in the foster home,” he continued. “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.”
It’s unclear if the brothers made amends with their mom before her death; however, Nelson congratulated Eminem on his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a now-deleted video on X (formerly Twitter).
