It’s no secret that Slim Shady likes to diss people in his tracks, with several celebs falling victim to his bars. But the rapper once got under the skin of his own mother so much that she literally sued him for it.
Yep, Eminem’s mum once attempted to sue the rapper for an eye-watering $10 million (£7m) after claiming he had slandered her on The Slim Shady LP and in various interviews.
Anyone familiar with Eminem’s music will be aware that the rapper has a difficult relationship with his mum Debbie Mathers-Briggs.
Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, first mentioned his mum on his 1999 single ‘My Name Is’, in which he claimed ‘my mom smokes more dope than I do’.
On his 2002 track ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’, Eminem raps: “Witnessing your momma popping prescription pills in the kitchen / B****ing that someone’s always going through her purse and s***’s missing / Going through public housing systems, victim of Munchausen syndrome / My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t / Till I grew up, now I blew up, it makes you sick to ya stomach.”
However, his words didn’t exactly go down well with Debbie who ended up filing a defamation lawsuit in 1999 – claiming the rapper was lying about his upbringing and slandering her.
In response to the suit at the time, the rapper’s lawyer Paul Rosenberg said in a statement: “Eminem’s life is reflected in his music.
“Everything he has said can be verified as true. Truth is an absolute defence to a claim of defamation. This lawsuit does not come as a surprise to Eminem.
“His mother has been threatening to sue him since the success of his single ‘My Name Is’. It is merely the result of a lifelong strained relationship between him and mother.
“Regardless, it is still painful to be sued by your mother and therefore the lawsuit will only be dealt with through legal channels.”
Two years later in 2001, Debbie was awarded a settlement, but the staggering $10 million she’d originally pushed for was shaved down $25,000 (£17,928).
Meanwhile, a final ruling from Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Mark Switalski found that of the $25,000, Debbie was entitled to just $1,600 (£1,147), with the rest of the dosh going to her lawyer Fred Gibson.
Speaking after the ruling, Gibson said the $23,354 (£16,747) was not enough: “This is not the last laugh because she was the most high-maintenance client I’ve had in my legal career.
“That amount was a far cry to the time I dedicated to her personally and to the legal action.”
