Eminem is thought to have quietly responded to the passing of his mother, Debbie Nelson, who succumbed at the age of 69 after battling lung cancer.
The Grammy-winning rapper, now 52, seemed to acknowledge her during his performance at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix event held at the Yas Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Taking center stage, the singer of Mockingbird delivered his popular song Without Me, which was inspired by his mother and the tumultuous relationship they shared.
At a certain point, the lyrics include ‘F—k you Debbie,’ delivering a sharp jab at his estranged mother, Debbie Nelson. However, the award-winning rapper chose to skip those lyrics in last night’s performance, but the audience passionately sang the harsh phrase.
The rapper has touched upon his complex relationship with Debbie in several tracks, including My Name Is and Cleanin’ Out My Closet.
As reported by the New York Post, Eminem intentionally omitted the lyric ‘F**k you Debbie’ during his performance of the 2002 track, ‘Without Me,’ in light of his mother’s death.
Eminem’s half-brother, Nate Mathers, had earlier shared his struggles with the loss of their mother.
‘Complicated feelings of hatred and sorrow today,’ Nate expressed earlier this week when the news of Nelson’s death emerged.
An insider claimed that the rapper had financially assisted his mother throughout her cancer fight, despite the years of silence between them.
Eminem and Nelson also had a rocky history, with the rapper accusing his mother of misusing prescription medications during his upbringing.
In 1999, she even filed a lawsuit against her renowned son for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress based on the lyrics in Eminem’s debut album, ‘The Slim Shady LP,’ as per ABC News.
Although Nelson won the lawsuit, she only received $25,000 and, after legal fees, was left with less than $2,000, according to the outlet.