Eminem’s half-brother posts scathing tribute to late mother as rapper stays mute amid years of ‘hatred’

Nathan Mathers expressed mixed emotions on Instagram after the death of his mother, Debbie Nelson, who had a troubled relationship with both her sons.

Eminem’s half-brother, Nathan "Nate" Mathers, has broken his silence following the death of their mother, Debbie Nelson, with a raw and scathing Instagram post. While Nate chose to express his emotions publicly, the Detroit rapper's silence has drawn attention, a response perhaps shaped by years of public animosity toward his mother. Nelson, who passed away at 69 due to lung cancer, had a tumultuous relationship with both sons.

Nathan Mather breaks silence on Debbie Nelson’s death

The day after Debbie Nelson’s passing, Nate Mathers shared a candid five-word post on Instagram, describing his emotions as “hatred and mixed.” Though he made no direct mention of his mother’s death, his words carried a lot of weight.

Nelson, who passed away at 69 from advanced lung cancer, had a fraught relationship with her two sons, Eminem and Nate, whom she welcomed with two different partners. Nate was placed in foster care at the age of eight and later adopted by Eminem when he turned 16.

When Eminem became the legal guardian of her half-brother

After a decade-long legal battle, the Mockingbird rapper gained custody of his half-brother, who was abandoned by their parents at the age of 8. By the time Nate turned 16, Eminem was officially his legal guardian.

Their troubled family history traces back to 1986, when Eminem was 13, and his mother, Debbie Mathers (née Nelson), welcomed Nathan with her boyfriend Fred Samra. Eminem’s father, Marshall Mathers Jr., had already abandoned him and Debbie when he was just a baby.

“When he was taken away I always said if I ever get in a position to take him, I would take him,” Eminem said in a Rolling Stone interview in 2004. “I tried to apply for full custody when I was 20, but I didn’t have the means.”

In return, Nate, who also works in the entertainment industry sees Eminem as his role model. “He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today,” he said during a podcast appearance.

Inside Eminem and his mother’s troubled history

Eminem's relationship with his mother, Debbie Nelson, was marred with conflict, often playing out publicly through his music. In songs like the 2002 hit Cleaning Out My Closet, he accused her of prescription pill abuse and manipulated him into believing he was ill. Despite these harsh criticisms, his lyrics in later songs, such as Headlights (2013), revealed a desire for reconciliation. “I went in headfirst, never thinking about who what I said hurt / My mom probably got it the worst,” he rapped.

Their troubled relationship also led to legal battles, with Debbie suing Eminem for defamation. In her 2008 memoir, "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem," she tried to share her perspective, recounting how close she and Eminem were in his early years before things soured.