Eminem’s Mom Debbie Has ‘Advanced Lung Cancer’ and Is ‘Terminally Ill’ as They Remain Estranged

Eminem’s mom, Debbie Nelson, is “terminally ill with advanced lung cancer,” a source exclusively tells In Touch. However, the rapper has not been to St. Joseph, Missouri, to see her, the insider adds.

“There are not many options [for Debbie],” the source says. “She is currently staying between the cancer center and with family members. She has a very limited amount of time [left].”

Eminem, 51, has been looking after Debbie, 69, financially, but has not communicated with her or his other family members in Missouri for “years,” according to the source.

“People around her aren’t even sure if Eminem is even aware of what is happening to his mother,” the insider adds. “He’s good to his mom. He makes sure he takes care of her, but they don’t really talk. It would be good for both of them [to communicate]. This could give them the chance to reconcile.”

The source says that Eminem has “trust issues” with members of his family, citing a 2005 incident where the rapper was sued by his aunt and uncle after they claimed he tried to evict them from their home.

He has had a rocky relationship with Debbie over the years, particularly after she sued him for defamation over song lyrics that insinuated that she did drugs. She was granted $25,000 of the $11 million she asked for in the lawsuit, but only walked away with about $1,600 after legal fees.

“I’m not ever gonna give up on my kids,” Debbie, who also has a son named Nathan, told Village Voice in 2008 while promoting her memoir My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. “There’s hope for everybody. It’s a matter of just basically swallowing your pride.”

At the time of the book’s release, Debbie was battling breast cancer, and added, “I’m still under doctor’s care, which I probably will be for a while. Basically a lot of the stuff is hereditary, but that happens. Cancers and heart disease and all that, and all the genetic things … I worry about my boys, having high blood pressure and things.”

She also said that she wrote the autobiography to “jog [Eminem’s] memory about the happy times” in their life. “I’m a very proud mother,” she insisted. “I don’t think there’s anything he can do to me that he hasn’t already done through the media.”

Debbie added, “Somebody had to get behind him, honey, to get him where he is today. I know there was many times he felt defeated and wanted to give up. Somebody had to get behind him to push him. And it sure as hell wasn’t anybody else except me. He had no father in the picture.”

As for her other reason for writing the book, she said, “[It was] to let people know that I’m not this evil monster that’s drugged out and strung out on booze and pot and all that stuff. It’s like, no, they’ve got a big misconception. Nothing is meant to hurt anybody. I do idolize my boys. They’re my world, just like my grandchildren. Anything that they do, I applaud them.”