Eminem's childhood lies

Dec 19, 2007, 7:30 GMT

Eminem EPA/GIOVANNI CANITANO

Eminem's mother claims he lied about his childhood to become a successful rapper.

Debbie Nelson says her son Marshall Mathers III invented his "trailer trash" upbringing to be accepted in the hip-hop industry.

In her tell-all book 'My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem', Nelson reveals: "After his first album 'Infinite' flopped, he reinvented himself as white trailer trash with a crazy welfare mom. I was shocked when I first heard the lyrics - but he constantly reassured me it was all a big joke. I went along with it for Marshall's sake."

Nelson insists she is now tired of being criticised for her supposed poor parenting skills, and has written the tome to "set the record straight".

In the book - penned by British ghost writer Annette Witheridge - Nelson claims The '8 Mile' star was so jealous of her boyfriend he wouldn't let them sleep together on their wedding night and he physically attacked her on his 23rd birthday.

She also says Eminem is a manic depressive and was so "strung out" he can't remember much of 1999 - the year he first married his childhood sweetheart Kim.

Eminem's representative is yet to comment on Nelson's claims.

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