Eminem skipped over a pointed lyric about mom Debbie Nelson while onstage, as he typically does when performing the song "Without Me."

Eminem subtly honored his late mother, Debbie Nelson, by omitting a controversial lyric during his Abu Dhabi concert.

Eminem returned to the stage at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix following his mom Debbie Nelson's death, opting not to say her name while performing his 2002 single "Without Me."

Nelson, once known as Debbie Mathers, died in her Missouri hometown. Her rocky relationship with Eminem was chronicled in his early work.

Debbie Nelson, the single mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics, has died. She was 69. Eminem’s longtime representative Dennis Dennehy confirmed Nelson’s death in an email on Tuesday. He did not provide a cause of death, although Nelson had battled lung cancer.

Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, has died at the age of 69. She passed away on December 2, 2024, in St. Joseph, Missouri, after battling lung cancer. The announcement was confirmed by Eminem’s representative,

Deborah Rae Nelson was born on Jan. 6, 1955, to Betty Hixson and Bob Nelson. She and Eminem’s father, Marshall Mathers Jr., performed in a band called Daddy Warbucks and married when she was a teenager. At 17, on Oct. 17, 1972, she gave birth to her son Marshall after more than 72 hours of labor.

Debbie Nelson's fraught relationship with her son Eminem had been no secret since the Detroit rapper became a star.

Debbie Nelson, mother of iconic rapper Eminem, has died at the age of 69. The news was confirmed by Eminem’s representative Dennis Dennehy, although no cause of death has been disclosed at this time.

I love you very much.” Nelson was also the culinary inspiration behind Mom’s Spaghetti, which started as a lyric from the Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself” before turning into a pop-up restaurant and pasta sauce brand.