[6] After her parents divorced in 1964, Nelson faced challenges with an abusive stepfather and eventually left home, and married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. on September 20, 1970, when she was 15 and he was 22.

[8] Their son, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, was born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri,[8][9]: 17  after Nelson nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him.

[12][13] She later hyphenated her surname as Mathers-Briggs after her marriage to John Briggs in November 1998;[14] they divorced in 1999,[15] and she eventually went by her maiden name after her son became famous.

[1] In 1982, Nelson sued the school board of Roseville for failing to protect her elder son (Marshall) from violence from his peers, which had led to injuries including a concussion.

The lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds of governmental immunity, and her son dramatized his experiences in the song "Brain Damage" on The Slim Shady LP (1999).

[22] In September 1999, Nelson sued her son for $10 million over the lyrics of his single "My Name Is" and several media interviews, in which he had made allegations of child neglect and drug use.

[23][24] Judge Mark Switalski of the Macomb County Circuit Court ruled in her favor and awarded her $25,000, of which over $23,000 went to her attorney Fred Gibson.