Sarah Mathers Is Eminem's Little-Known Sister & She Tried to Contact Him after Seeing Him on TV (2024)

Sarah Mathers is Eminem's estranged half-sister who did now know they were siblings until his fame. She and her father tried reaching out to the music icon to no avail.

Sarah Mathers was not recognized as American rapper Eminem's sister until years after she was born, primarily because she did not know about her relationship with the star.

However, in the 2002 film "8 Mile," the character played by Eminem had a sister named Lily. The Oscar-winning production focused on the life of a white boy trying to make it as a rapper in Detroit.

Since "8 Mile" was partly based on the "Rap God" artist's biography, some fans wondered if he actually had a sister named Lily.

No, Eminem's Sister Is Not Named Lily

The legendary rapper does not have a sister named Lily. However, he does have a half-sister, Sarah, with whom he shares the same father.

Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, was only six months old when his father abandoned him and had another family. It wasn't until years later that Sarah learned she was the half-sister of a world-renowned artist.

While at a family barbecue, she was taken aback and could not believe that the man on television was the same child her dad had left 31 years beforehand. "I'd known all my life that I had another brother, but Eminem? They'd got to be kidding. I giggled at the thought of it, then went back to join the rest of my family," she said.

Not until he became the Eminem the music industry knows today did the rapper's family try to reach out. According to Eminem's mom, the artist's father, and his kids, Sarah and Michael, attempted to meet Eminem backstage. However, "The Real Slim Shady" refused to meet them.

It turned out that Sarah never tried to reach out to Eminem until she knew he was famous. He later released his sentiments through "The Marshall Mathers LP" album in 2000.

Sarah Mathers' Father and Brother

Sarah has another brother, Michael. However, information about him and Sarah is rarely online. Meanwhile, more is known about their father, Marshall Bruce Mathers.

Born in Missouri on June 30, 1951, Marshall married Eminem's mother, Debbie, at 22. At that time, she was only 15. Two years later, the pair had their first and only child, Eminem.

After turning his back on his family, Eminem tried to reach out through letters several times, only to have his notes returned as a return to sender. Then a young boy, he dealt with bullies at school.

In 2001, amidst his son's fame, he tried to reach out through the help of the media. He claimed he was not interested in Eminem's money and only wanted to become a father again.

In an open letter to his son, Marshall claimed that Eminem was fed lies about him and wanted his boy to know the truth. However, the rapper was no longer interested in reconnecting.

According to News 24, Eminem said in response to his father's plea, "I don't know anything about my dad, and I don't care."

Marshall passed away on June 26, 2019, in Indiana, and his burial followed at Saint Joseph Memorial Park. He was 67 years old when neighbors believed he had a heart attack in his home.

Eminem Was Closer to His Sister-In-Law than His Half-Sister

It was no secret that Eminem was not close to his family. In fact, he had a better relationship with his sister-in-law, Dawn Scott, than with Sarah. Scott, the sister of Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, was the singer's childhood friend.

When she reportedly struggled with addiction, Eminem and Kim took her daughter, Alaina, under their wing. Sadly, on January 19, 2016, Scott lost to her struggles with substance abuse. Eminem eventually adopted Alaina, who is now all grown up with a college degree.

Eminem's Character's Relationship with His Sister in "8 Mile"

To his fans' dismay, Eminem's story in "8 Mile" was only partially true, particularly the part about his relationship with his sister.

Following the film's release, fans were touched by Eminem's kindness towards her little sister on screen. One movie watcher even described their relationship as "adorable." Sadly, the same can't be said about the actual score between Sarah and Eminem.

Eminem's estrangement from his father and siblings has been going on for years. However, he also had a public feud with his mother in the past. In 1999, Debbie filed a $10 million lawsuit against the rapper, which was eventually settled two years later for $25,000.

She later released "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life," which touched on different aspects of her life, such as her marriages and lawsuits, among others. She revealed that Eminem began his career with songs that placed his family in a negative light.

Despite bringing it up with her son, Eminem rebutted that the audience responded to foul lyrics. The book was written to let the public know her side of the story – that Debbie is not the monster her son painted her to be.

The mother and son's feud ended in 2013 when Eminem apologized to Debbie. After a few years, he revealed that they were not on speaking terms, but his love for Debbie remained.