Eminem has lost another close family member, with his maternal grandmother Betty Kresin passing away on Tuesday, March 10, at her home in Missouri at the age of 87. But the relationship appears to be in doubt.
This is confirmed by sources close to the family TMZ that she died of complications related to breast cancer.
The rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, was not present when she passed.
The loss comes just over a year after his mother, Debbie Nelson, died in December 2024 after a battle with advanced lung cancer.
Betty was Debbie’s mother.
The relationship between Eminem and his grandmother was complicated.
In an August 2000 interview with London MirrorKresin spoke candidly about the painful distance that had grown between them as her grandson’s fame and notoriety grew.
“Neither his mum Debbie nor I can figure out what happened to this sweet, caring youngster. In just over 12 years he has gone from telling me ‘grandma I love you’ to ‘go to hell’. It just breaks my heart,” she said.
“I can’t believe this is my Marshall, the same boy who used to come and sit on my lap.”
She also described his music at the time as “vile and vile.”
Despite the public airing of these complaints, fans familiar with the family’s history have been quick to note the role Kresin played in Eminem’s early life.
An Instagram commenter writes: “It was grandma’s house he always went to as a kid when things got tough at home. She loved him so much and always took care of him.”
Tributes from fans have poured in on social media since news of her death broke.
Eminem, 53, has not publicly commented on the loss.
He recently became a grandfather himself after his daughter Hailie Jade welcomed a son, Elliot Marshall McClintock, with husband Evan McClintock, a name chosen in honor of Marshall Mathers himself.
