Whatever Happened To Eminem's Ex-Wife Kim Mathers?
The following article includes mentions of a drug overdose and suicide.
To say that chart-topping rapper Eminem and Kim Mathers (born Kimberly Ann Scott) had a tumultuous relationship would be putting it mildly. The high school sweethearts proved to be anything but sweet during a turbulent period in which they married, split, renewed their vows (despite the hitmaker telling Rolling Stone, "I would rather have a baby through my penis than get married again"), and then finally divorced.
And let's not forget the various custody battles over their daughter Hailie, reports of abuse, and the fact that The Real Slim Shady repeatedly called out his on-off wife on record, most famously envisioning her violent death on "Kim," "The Marshall Mathers LP" cut which resulted in a lawsuit for defamation.
But while Eminem has remained a part of the pop cultural landscape, Kim appears to have retreated into obscurity. So, what's she been up to over the last decade? And is she and her former husband still at loggerheads? Here's a look at her story.
Kim attended her youngest daughter's wedding
In 2023, Alaina Scott said "I do" to Matt Moeller at a luxurious Great Gatsby-inspired bash at Packard Proving Ground Historic Site in Detroit. And both her adopted parents, hip-hop superstar Eminem and his ex-wife Kim Mathers, were in attendance on the big day.
In an interview with People, the bride, who was adopted from Kim's drug-addicted sister Dawn Scott in the early 2000s, revealed that "The Real Slim Shady" star gave her away: "I had an 80-foot long black and white checkered aisle and my dad walked me down the aisle. He wasn't going to miss that."
It's not clear if Kim played a role in the ceremony, but she confirmed to The U.S. Sun that she was there on the big day. It seems as though the guest list was pretty exclusive, too, with Alaina adding, "Getting married is a sacred thing and we wanted to be surrounded by people who share in our daily lives. We did something super untraditional and didn't allow many plus ones. This was important to us."
Kim Mathers will also attend her eldest daughter's wedding
Although her relationship with Hailie Jade Scott has been turbulent, to say the least, Kim Mathers revealed in 2023 that she would definitely be in attendance at her daughter's forthcoming wedding.
The former wife of hip-hop superstar Eminem told The U.S. Sun replied, "Yes, of course," when asked whether she'd be watching her eldest walk down the aisle with long-time partner Evan McClintock, adding that she's now in regular contact with all her children.
It's not yet known exactly when Hailie and Evan, who first met at Michigan State University back in 2016, will be exchanging their vows. But the former is no stranger to such ceremonies, having recently served as the maid of honor at sister Alaina Scott's wedding to Matt Moeller. The influencer revealed in February 2023 that she'd got engaged with various Instagram snaps of the proposal captioned, "Casual weekend recap," followed by heart and ring emojis.
Eminem's company gave Kim Mathers a $615k loan
Further proof that Eminem and his ex-wife Kim Mathers were back on good terms emerged in 2023 when it was revealed that the rapper had given his ex-wife a $615,000 loan to help buy a new home.
According to The U.S. Sun, the "Cleaning Out My Closet" hitmaker handed over the large six-figure sum to enable Kim to purchase a three-bathroom, four-bedroom property in the Michigan city of Macomb. Although this was reported as a downsize, the house still boasted a 730-square-foot garage, a private backyard, and walk-in closets.
Documents obtained by the newspaper show that the money came from Shady Games Inc., the company that lists Marshall Mathers as its treasurer, secretary, and president. Kim had previously resided in a custom-built mansion, which later sold for $1.35 million, and was where she looked after her and Eminem's children Hailie, Alaina, and Stevie Laine, as well as son Parker from a more recent relationship.
Kim Mathers is now heavily tattooed
Kim Mathers now looks very different compared to the days when her on-off husband Eminem was bad-mouthing her on record. As well as sporting a spiky blonde haircut, the famous ex showed off a range of new tattoos in exclusive snaps published in The U.S. Sun.
On the top of her right arm, Kim has the word Artemis, who in Greek mythology is the goddess of the moon, inked over a former tribal tattoo. On her neck, she has the words "born, regret," emblazoned, perhaps a reference to the various troubles she's encountered over the years. And the saying "some destruction is beautiful" is tattooed on her left shoulder.
Speaking to the newspaper, Kim explained why she decided to get so many different tattoos. Gesturing toward the Cheshire Cat inked on her left arm, she responded, "I don't know, but I love Alice in Wonderland."
Kim Mathers has lost several family members
Kim Mathers has certainly been through it over the past ten years, having lost her sister, Dawn Scott, to drugs and both of her parents, too. And it was the death of her mother, Kathy Sluck, in particular, that hit her the hardest.
Shortly after Sluck passed away in the summer of 2021, Kim responded to an online obituary (via News.com.au), "You're all I had left Momma. I can't imagine this without you! I love you Momma! Kiss my dad and sister for me." The ex-wife of chart-topping rapper Eminem was so distraught that just a day later, she was rushed to hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.
Kim had been discovered lying on the bathroom floor of her Detroit home by one of her four children, who subsequently called 911. TMZ reported that paramedics struggled to monitor her vitals at the time as she was combative and that there was a significant amount of blood, presumably due to the numerous tiny lacerations found on her leg. Luckily, she made a full recovery and told The U.S. Sun later that she was now doing much better, adding that she was now taking prescription medication and benefiting from the support of her family.
Kim nearly died in a car crash
Sadly, Kim's distraught response to her mother's death wasn't the first time she'd attempted to take her own life. Six years earlier, the ex-spouse of hip-hop maverick Eminem tried to kill herself in a deliberate car crash.
Kim, who's had various mental health battles over the years, purposely drove into a utility pole, with her SUV landing in a nearby ditch upside down as a result. She later informed police that she'd waited until the roads were entirely clear before making the drastic move and that she had a fifth of Malibu rum in her system at the time.
Following her recovery, Kim was given a 12-month probation sentence and issued with a fine of $900. During an appearance on "Mojo in the Morning," a Detroit radio show, she said (via Yahoo! Entertainment), "I apologized immensely. I did not expect to even make it through that. I told [first responders] that I tried to do this on purpose, and I'm so sorry. I never lied to them. I told them everything that I did."
Kim Mathers is on good terms with Eminem
Eminem and Kim Mathers may have had one of the most turbulent high-profile relationships of the early 2000s. But in another telling sign that The Real Slim Shady has now grown up, the pair are apparently now in a better place than they've ever been.
After recovering from the incident in which she tried to take her own life by ramming her SUV into a utility pole, Kim told Detroit-based radio show "Mojo in the Morning" that her former husband had been a hugely supportive figure as she attempted to get her life back on track. "We're really close friends," she said (via Yahoo! Entertainment). "We're just trying to raise our kids together and make it as normal for them as possible."
In 2017, Eminem apologized to Kim for the previous way he treated her on the "Revival" cut, "Bad Husband," rapping (via Genius), "We brought out the worst in each other/Someone had to make the sparring end/'Cause I loved you, but I hated that me/And I don't wanna see that side again/But I'm sorry, Kim/More than you could ever comprehend." And the fact that the Grammy Award winner loaned her $615,000 six years later suggests the pair are still very much on good terms.
If you or anyone you know is struggling or in crisis or needs help with addiction issues, please contact the relevant resources below:
- Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).