Eminem took to the spotlight in Abu Dhabi for his highly anticipated performance, just weeks after the passing of his mother, Debbie Nelson. Known for his raw and often controversial lyrics, Eminem has never shied away from reflecting on the painful aspects of his personal life, particularly his complex relationship with his mother. However, the loss of Debbie Nelson added a layer of sorrow that even the rap legend had to confront.

Eminem performed in front of a packed crowd of hundreds of thousands of fans this weekend less than one week after the death of his mom.The rapper had an audience of more than 40,000 fans at Etihad Park on Saturday where he delivered a powerful performance that marked the third after-race concert of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix series. 

ABU DHABI THANK U!!! @F1@ymcofficial@SkylarGrey Full gallery on https://t.co/IbxoWqLi6n Jeremy Deputat pic.twitter.com/yFnhkv1Fur

— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) December 8, 2024

The show comes just days after TMZ broke the story that his mom, Debbie Nelson, died following a battle with advanced lung cancer. She died in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 69.Some fans feared the rapper would cancel his Abu Dhabi appearance amid his mom’s death but those rumors were dispelled on Wednesday when his social media accounts confirmed the show would go on.

Eminem performed Kill You at Abu Dhabi pic.twitter.com/dnbUWJ9H9v

— Yash werewolf (@yashsayings) December 7, 2024

Eminem’s relationship with his mom was known to be a rollercoaster of drama and dysfunction. Early on in his career, he publicly accused her of being neglectful and abusive. She would go on to sue him for defamation in 1999.

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The two made numerous attempts to reconcile over the years but it’s unclear if they saw or spoke to each other before she passed