Nathan Mathers, Eminem’s half-brother opens up post his mother’s demise

Nelson had a turbulent relationship with his boys before dying of lung cancer at the age of 69.

By Sneha Sengupta On Dec 4, 2024

In a candid Instagram post, Nathan “Nate” Mathers, Eminem’s half-brother, broke his silence after his mother, Debbie Nelson, passed away. The rapper’s silence has garnered attention despite Nate’s decision to publicly share his feelings; this may have been influenced by years of public hostility toward his mother.

Nate Mathers posted an open, five-word Instagram post the day following Debbie Nelson’s death, expressing his feelings as “hatred and mixed.” Even though he didn’t specifically address his mother’s passing, his remarks were very powerful.

Nelson had a tense connection with her two sons, Eminem and Nate, whom she welcomed with two different partners before dying at the age of 69 from terminal lung cancer. When Nate was eight years old, he was placed in foster care, and when he was sixteen, Eminem adopted him.

Throwback photo of Eminem, his mother Debbie, and younger half-brother Nate : r/HipHopImages

The rapper won custody of his half-brother, who was left by his parents when he was eight years old, following a ten-year court struggle. Eminem became Nate’s legal guardian by the time he turned sixteen.

In 1986, when Eminem was thirteen, his mother, Debbie Mathers (née Nelson), welcomed Nathan into the world with her boyfriend, Fred Samra. This marks the beginning of their tumultuous family history. Marshall Mathers Jr., Eminem’s father, had already left him and Debbie when he was a newborn.

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

Nate, who is a part of the showbiz considers Eminem as his ideal. “He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today,” he stated in a podcast conversation.