(NEXSTAR) — Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, has died, according to reports. She was 69.
TMZ was the first to report Nelson's death, saying sources told the outlet that Nelson died in St. Joseph, Missouri. She had previously been diagnosed with lung cancer, according to reports. Citing representatives for Eminem, People reported that Nelson's death was due to complications related to lung cancer.
The leading cause of cancer worldwide is lung cancer, the Mayo Clinic explains. Symptoms usually occur once the disease has advanced, and survival rates can vary based on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread, data from the American Cancer Society shows.
Eminem has not yet commented, according to TMZ and People.
Nelson had filed an $11 million defamation lawsuit against Eminem earlier in his career over lyrics. She won the lawsuit, but received less than $2,000, ABC News previously reported.
Nelson's relationship with her son is said to have improved in recent years, and she publicly congratulated Eminem on being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
According to her 2008 memoir, "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem," Nelson was born on a military base in Kansas. She was the oldest of five children and explained in her book that she found herself providing for the family after her parents split up, People explains.
Nelson gave birth to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, when she was 18, two years after marrying her high school sweetheart, Marshall Bruce Mathers. The couple divorced a short time later, and the elder Mathers died in 2019.
Nelson is also survived by her son Nathan Mathers.
