Eminem's relationship with his father was so bitter that he once sent back rapper's letters with 'return to sender'
Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr, rapper Eminem's biological father, has died aged 67. According to TMZ, neighbors told the site that Mathers died of a heart attack while at his home near Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, often rapped about his estranged father, accusing him of abandoning his family. A few of his songs such as "My Name Is" and "Cleanin’ Out My Closet," speak of his troubled relationship with his dad.
He rapped in "Cleanin’ Out My Closet" referencing his own daughter, Hailie, saying, "My fa***t father must’ve had his panties up in a bunch ‘Cause he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye. No, I don’t, on second thought, I just f**kin’ wished he would die. I look at Hailie, and I couldn’t picture leavin’ her side."
Previously, he also revealed that he had attempted to contact his father and wrote him letters that came back to him as 'return to sender,' according to Metro. His mother, Debbie, married Mathers Jr when he was 22, while she was still 15. Not long after Eminem's birth, the couple split and Mathers Jr went to California, where he reportedly had two children. Meanwhile, Eminem settled in Detroit with his mother.
When the rapper gained worldwide fame and attention in 2001, Mathers Jr had attempted to reach out to his son via a letter stating that his mom kept his son away from him. That year Mathers Jr told the Mirror, "I desperately want to meet my son and tell him that I love him. I'm not interested in his money. I just want to talk to him. I want him to know that I’m here for him if he lets me back into his life."
Around the same time, Eminem had said, "Don’t know anything about my dad and I don’t care."
Meanwhile, Eminem is the father to Hailie Scott Mathers, who he shares with his ex-wife Kim. According to Daily Mail, he has spoken about Hailie in only a few rare interviews and citing her as his biggest motivation when he was broke and starting out rapping in Detroit.