How education and upbringing influenced the life of Eminem. A timeline of key moments.
Eminem, born Marshall Mathers III, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, and producer. He is recognized for popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and breaking racial barriers for white rappers. Though controversial early in his career for his transgressive themes, he became an icon representing the angst of the American underclass. He is known for numerous hit songs including "The Real Slim Shady," "Without Me," "Lose Yourself," and "Love the Way You Lie."
October 17, 1972: Eminem's Birth
On October 17, 1972, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, who is known professionally as Eminem, was born. Eminem is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
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1982: Lawsuit Dismissed After Assault
In 1982, Debbie Mathers filed a lawsuit against a public school after D'Angelo Bailey injured Eminem's head in an assault; the suit was later dismissed by a judge.
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1986: Birth of Half-Brother
In 1986, Eminem's mother had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Samara with Fred Samara.
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1987: Kim Scott moves in with Eminem and his mother
In 1987, Debbie Mathers allowed Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott to stay at their home, starting a future relationship between her and Eminem.
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January 14, 1991: Eminem begins relationship with Kimberly Anne Scott
On January 14, 1991, Eminem began an on-and-off relationship with Kimberly Anne Scott after she moved in with him and his mother when he was 15 years old.
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1991: Suicide of Ronnie Polkingharn
In 1991, following the suicide of his uncle Ronnie Polkingharn, Eminem stopped speaking publicly for days and did not attend his funeral.
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December 25, 1995: Hailie Jade Mathers born
On December 25, 1995, Hailie Jade, Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott's daughter, was born.
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March 1997: Fired from Gilbert's Lodge for the last time
In March 1997, Eminem was fired from Gilbert's Lodge for the last time and lived in his mother's mobile home with Kim and Hailie.
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1997: Introduction of the Slim Shady Alter Ego
In 1997, Eminem introduced his controversial alter ego, Slim Shady, in The Slim Shady EP, allowing him to express darker, more aggressive thoughts through his lyrics.
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June 14, 1999: Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott Marry
On June 14, 1999, Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott were married.
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1999: Eminem Hints at Avoiding Drugs in "My Name Is"
In his 1999 single "My Name Is", Eminem hinted that he avoided drug use, referencing his mother's history of drug abuse.
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June 3, 2000: Arrest in Royal Oak, Michigan
On June 3, 2000, Eminem was arrested in Royal Oak, Michigan, for pulling out an unloaded gun during an altercation with an employee of Insane Clown Posse's record label.
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July 7, 2000: Kim Mathers' suicide attempt
On July 7, 2000, Kim Mathers attempted suicide by slitting her wrists and later sued Eminem for defamation after he described her violent death in "Kim".
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2000: Assault Charge
In 2000, Eminem faced an assault charge brought by a bouncer he saw kissing his wife, which was later addressed in his album "The Eminem Show" released in 2002.
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June 28, 2001: Sentenced on weapon charges
On June 28, 2001, Eminem was sentenced to one year's probation, community service, and fined approximately $2,000 on weapon charges stemming from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records.
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October 12, 2001: Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott Divorced
On October 12, 2001, Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott divorced.
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2001: DeAngelo Bailey lawsuit
In 2001, sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey sued Eminem for $1 million, claiming invasion of privacy due to the portrayal of him as a violent bully in the song "Brain Damage."
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March 31, 2002: Jacques Loussier lawsuit
On March 31, 2002, French jazz pianist Jacques Loussier filed a $10 million lawsuit against Eminem and Dr. Dre, alleging that the beat for "Kill You" was taken from his instrumental "Pulsion." The case was later settled out of court.
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May 2002: Release of The Eminem Show
In May 2002, Eminem released "The Eminem Show", which reached number one on the charts and sold over 1.332 million copies in its first week. The album explores the effects of Eminem's fame, his family relationships, and his standing in the hip-hop community.
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2002: Eminem Declares Aversion to Remarriage
In 2002, after his initial divorce, Eminem declared, "I would rather have a baby through my penis than get married again,"
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2002: Eminem Develops Drug Addiction During 8 Mile Production
In 2002, during the production of 8 Mile, Eminem developed a drug addiction due to insomnia and the use of Ambien, marking the beginning of a long struggle with substance abuse.
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October 20, 2003: Dismissal of DeAngelo Bailey lawsuit
On October 20, 2003, a lawsuit filed by sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey against Eminem for $1 million, accusing him of invading his privacy in "Brain Damage", was dismissed. The judge ruled the lyrics were clearly exaggerated.
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December 8, 2003: Secret Service Investigates Eminem
On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service investigated Eminem for lyrics in "We As Americans" that seemingly threatened the President of the United States.
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October 12, 2004: Michael Jackson Responds to "Just Lose It"
On October 12, 2004, Michael Jackson voiced his displeasure with Eminem's "Just Lose It" video, which parodied Jackson's personal issues, during a call to Steve Harvey's radio show.
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October 25, 2004: Eminem Releases "Mosh" Video
On October 25, 2004, Eminem released the music video for "Mosh" online, featuring an anti-war message and criticism of President George W. Bush, a week before the U.S. Presidential election.
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January 14, 2006: Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott Remarry
On January 14, 2006, Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott briefly remarried.
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April 2006: Death of Proof
In April 2006, Proof, Eminem's close childhood friend and fellow rapper, was murdered, marking a significant personal loss for Eminem.
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December 18, 2006: Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott Finalize Divorce
On December 18, 2006, Eminem and Kimberly Anne Scott finalized their second divorce, agreeing to joint custody of their daughter Hailie.
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2006: Accusation of assaulting Miad Jarbou
In 2006, Eminem was accused of assaulting Miad Jarbou in a Detroit strip club bathroom, but was never charged. Jarbou later sued Eminem for damages.
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September 2007: Eminem Discusses Future Album Plans
In September 2007, Eminem spoke on WQHT radio, stating he was "in limbo" regarding his next album, but confirmed he was working and feeling positive about the label's energy.
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December 2007: Methadone Overdose
In December 2007, Eminem overdosed on methadone, mistaking it for Vicodin. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said he was close to death. He missed Christmas with his children and checked himself out of rehab prematurely.
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2007: Jackson Acquires Rights to Eminem's Songs
In 2007, Michael Jackson, along with Sony, acquired Famous Music from Viacom, which granted him the rights to songs by Eminem, among other artists.
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April 20, 2008: Sobriety
On April 20, 2008, Eminem achieved sobriety with the help of Elton John and church meetings. He sought help from a rehabilitation counselor and began an exercise program.
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September 2008: Eminem Focuses on Producing
In September 2008, Eminem stated that he was concentrating on producing his own material and other projects, indicating a return to the studio.
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October 21, 2008: Eminem's Autobiography The Way I Am Published
On October 21, 2008, Eminem's autobiography, The Way I Am, was published, detailing his struggles and rise to fame with personal stories and memorabilia.
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2009: Chris Brown assault case; Eminem's apology to Rihanna
In 2009, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault involving Rihanna. Years later, Eminem apologized to Rihanna in the track "Zeus" over a leaked song from his Relapse studio sessions in which he sided with Chris Brown.
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2009: Endorsement of Barack Obama
In 2009, Eminem openly endorsed Barack Obama in an interview, marking a shift in his public political expression.
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2010: Eminem Denies Romantic Relationship Renewal with Kimberly Scott
In 2010, Eminem denied rumors of a renewed romantic relationship with Kimberly Scott, but confirmed that they remained friendly with each other.
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2010: 60 Minutes interview on homophobic lyrics
In 2010, during a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper, Eminem addressed criticism for using homophobic lyrics, explaining his perspective on the use of words like "faggot" and "queer" during his upbringing.
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2013: Demolition of Childhood Home
In 2013, the State of Michigan demolished Eminem's childhood home after it was damaged by arson.
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2013: Eminem Apologizes to His Mother in "Headlights"
In his 2013 song "Headlights", Eminem apologized to his mother for some of his previous lyrics, particularly from the song "Cleanin' Out My Closet", showing a change in their relationship.
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2018: Secret Service Interview Regarding Threatening Lyrics Towards President Trump
In 2018, The Secret Service interviewed Eminem regarding threatening lyrics towards president Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka.
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2019: Hughes' Previous Attempt
In 2019, Matthew Hughes pleaded guilty to breaking into a Rochester Hills home in search of Eminem.
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2019: Secret Service Interview Regarding Threatening Lyrics Towards President Trump
In 2019, The Secret Service interviewed Eminem again regarding threatening lyrics towards president Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka.
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April 2020: Home Invasion
In April 2020, Matthew David Hughes broke into Eminem's Michigan home, stating he intended to kill him. Eminem was home at the time of the break in.
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2021: Hughes Sentenced
In 2021, Matthew David Hughes pleaded guilty to second-degree home invasion and was sentenced to probation and time served, which was 524 days in the county jail.
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July 16, 2022: Hailie Jade Launches "Just A Little Shady" Podcast
On July 16, 2022, Hailie Jade launched a podcast called "Just A Little Shady" with her childhood friend Brittany Ednie, with the first episode discussing her experience growing up as Eminem's daughter.
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November 2022: Eminem Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In November 2022, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with his mother publicly paying tribute to him during the ceremony.
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August 30, 2023: Jacksonville Shooting Revelation
On August 30, 2023, it was revealed that Ryan Palmeter, the perpetrator of the 2023 Jacksonville shooting, had targeted Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly in a racially-motivated attack.
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December 2024: Eminem's Mother, Debbie Nelson, Passes Away
In December 2024, Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, passed away due to complications from lung cancer, marking a significant personal loss for the artist.
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December 2024: Removal of Part of Mother's Message After Her Death
In December 2024, after the death of Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, parts of her message from his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction were removed from some of Eminem's social media pages.
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2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris
In 2024, Eminem endorsed Kamala Harris during the United States presidential election and spoke at a rally in Michigan, emphasizing the importance of voting.
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