Eminem's mom Debbie Mathers on estranged relationship: 'Life is short ... Mama wants to give you a hug'
It's unclear what kind of relationship Eminem wants to have with his mother Debbie Mathers.
DETROIT, MI -- The "Headlights" song and Spike Lee-directed video for it were nice, but Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers actually wants to see her son and repair a relationship that's been estranged for at least 13 years.
Mathers, 59, made that clear Wednesday in a statement to MLive.com and claims she hasn't seen her son for several years after repeated attempts to meet with him.
She also claims the 41-year-old Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, knows how to get in touch with her - if he wants to.
"I just want to give him a big hug," Debbie Mathers said in the statement sent to MLive.com. "Mama is waiting with open arms."
"Life is short. Come here, Mama wants a hug."
Mathers' statement was sent to MLive.com by way of her friend Molly Marshall, who claims Debbie Mathers has "been down lately about the whole situation."
"It doesn't matter how hard she's tried," Molly Marshall said. "She can't get through to him, and she's feeling quite deflated about it."
Dennis Dennehy, Eminem’s publicist, declined to confirm or deny in an e-mail to Mlive.com whether or not the rapper has physically met with his mother to make any sort of amends or intends to do so.
Dennehy reiterated the message he gave MLive.com on May 11 that said Eminem has addressed everything about his mother and the relationship in the "Headlights" song - featured on his latest Marshall Mathers LP 2 album - and the video.
"The song and video speak for themselves," Dennehy wrote.
Molly Marshall wouldn't confirm or deny if Debbie Mathers still lives in Michigan, but did say she frequents "several places" and visits the state often.
Online records show the last known mailing address for Debbie Mathers - who also goes by Debbie Briggs and Debbie Olsen - is a P.O. Box in St. Joseph, Mo.
Molly Marshall claims Debbie Mathers is so eager to see her son that she quoted over the phone to her Monday night Steve Perry's lyrics to the Journey song "Open Arms."
"She simply wants to hold her boy," Marshall said.
Eminem mentions in the “Headlights” song lyrics directed at his mother that “to this day we remain estranged and I hate it though, ‘cause you ain’t even get to witness your grandbabies grow.”
Lyrics in “Headlights” also mention that his mother’s “mental state is deteriorating slow.”
Neal Alpert, another friend of Debbie Mathers, said in April she seemed to be in good health and spirits, and is eager to repair her relationship with Eminem.
"To my knowledge she is doing OK," Alpert said
Debbie Mathers released “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem” in 2007.
It was co-written by New York journalist Annette Witheridge.
Witheridge told MLive.com she spent more than a year working with Debbie Mathers on the book and agrees with Alpert the matriarch seems eager to repair the relationship.
“Nothing would make Debbie happier than if Eminem were to make amends with her,” Witheridge said. “She has longed to have a proper relationship with him for many, many years.
“I don’t know if she’d like to explain to him what happened when she sued him … but she has never stopped loving him.”
Witheridge believes that Debbie Mathers would like a private meeting with her son to “bury the hatchet."
“I think she would prefer not to be in the spotlight because of his fans,” Witheridge said. “I do know that when he first became famous and was singing about Debbie, that she would get fans throwing chewing gum at her in the shopping mall and it would get stuck in her hair.
“She became the most hated mother in America.”
It's unclear what kind of relationship Eminem wants to have with his mother Debbie Mathers.
DETROIT, MI -- The "Headlights" song and Spike Lee-directed video for it were nice, but Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers actually wants to see her son and repair a relationship that's been estranged for at least 13 years.
Mathers, 59, made that clear Wednesday in a statement to MLive.com and claims she hasn't seen her son for several years after repeated attempts to meet with him.
She also claims the 41-year-old Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, knows how to get in touch with her - if he wants to.
"I just want to give him a big hug," Debbie Mathers said in the statement sent to MLive.com. "Mama is waiting with open arms."
"Life is short. Come here, Mama wants a hug."
Mathers' statement was sent to MLive.com by way of her friend Molly Marshall, who claims Debbie Mathers has "been down lately about the whole situation."
"It doesn't matter how hard she's tried," Molly Marshall said. "She can't get through to him, and she's feeling quite deflated about it."
Dennis Dennehy, Eminem’s publicist, declined to confirm or deny in an e-mail to Mlive.com whether or not the rapper has physically met with his mother to make any sort of amends or intends to do so.
Dennehy reiterated the message he gave MLive.com on May 11 that said Eminem has addressed everything about his mother and the relationship in the "Headlights" song - featured on his latest Marshall Mathers LP 2 album - and the video.
"The song and video speak for themselves," Dennehy wrote.
Molly Marshall wouldn't confirm or deny if Debbie Mathers still lives in Michigan, but did say she frequents "several places" and visits the state often.
Online records show the last known mailing address for Debbie Mathers - who also goes by Debbie Briggs and Debbie Olsen - is a P.O. Box in St. Joseph, Mo.
Molly Marshall claims Debbie Mathers is so eager to see her son that she quoted over the phone to her Monday night Steve Perry's lyrics to the Journey song "Open Arms."
"She simply wants to hold her boy," Marshall said.
Eminem mentions in the “Headlights” song lyrics directed at his mother that “to this day we remain estranged and I hate it though, ‘cause you ain’t even get to witness your grandbabies grow.”
Lyrics in “Headlights” also mention that his mother’s “mental state is deteriorating slow.”
Neal Alpert, another friend of Debbie Mathers, said in April she seemed to be in good health and spirits, and is eager to repair her relationship with Eminem.
"To my knowledge she is doing OK," Alpert said
Debbie Mathers released “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem” in 2007.
It was co-written by New York journalist Annette Witheridge.
Witheridge told MLive.com she spent more than a year working with Debbie Mathers on the book and agrees with Alpert the matriarch seems eager to repair the relationship.
“Nothing would make Debbie happier than if Eminem were to make amends with her,” Witheridge said. “She has longed to have a proper relationship with him for many, many years.
“I don’t know if she’d like to explain to him what happened when she sued him … but she has never stopped loving him.”
Witheridge believes that Debbie Mathers would like a private meeting with her son to “bury the hatchet."
“I think she would prefer not to be in the spotlight because of his fans,” Witheridge said. “I do know that when he first became famous and was singing about Debbie, that she would get fans throwing chewing gum at her in the shopping mall and it would get stuck in her hair.
“She became the most hated mother in America.”
