Eminem’s biological father has passed away.
Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. died this week near Fort Wayne, Indiana after suffering from a heart attack in his home, according to TMZ.
Eminem, 46, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, has made his longstanding grudge against his late father apparent in a lot of his songs like “My Name Is” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
In one lyric from “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” the “8 Mile” actor even says he “wished” his father would die.
According to Eminem’s mother Debbie per TMZ, Marshall Jr. (who went by Bruce) married her when she was 15 and he was 22. Two years later, the couple had Marshall III and Bruce left shortly after.
Debbie and Marshall III settled down in Detroit while Bruce moved to California and fathered two more children.
Eminem revealed in interviews that he attempted to contact his father via letters when he was young, but each one came back “return to sender.”
Bruce published a letter to his son in 2001, claiming that it was Eminem’s mother that kept them away from each other.
But the letter didn’t seem to have any healing effects on the rapper. The relationship was never reconciled after Eminem “apparently never got in contact with his father,” according to TMZ.
READ: Eminem Celebrates 11 Years Of Sobriety With Powerful Post: ‘Still Not Afraid’
In one of his lyrics from “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” Eminem makes it clear that he would never make the same mistakes with his own children.
“I look at Hailie, and I couldn’t picture leavin’ her side,” he rapped.
Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr was 67.