During his difficult childhood, Eminem found himself struggling for stability as he moved from one city to the next with such frequency that he "would change schools two, three times a year" — a factor, he told Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes," which contributed to him suffering intense violence on campus. "I was beat up in the bathrooms, in the hallways, shoved in the lockers," he said, "for the most part for being the new kid."
The bullying he endured was so bad that in 1982, Eminem's mom, Debbie Nelson, sued the Detroit school board for failing to adequately protect the 9-year-old from violence (via The Smoking Gun.) Her concerns were certainly warranted given that one particular assault was so severe that the rapper "was hospitalized for four days for a cerebral hemorrhage" which left him with serious cognitive trauma, according to Nelsons' memoir, "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem" (via MTV).
Eminem made reference to the incident in the song "Brain Damage," where he described the grisly assault in graphic detail, along with the name of his alleged abuser, DeAngelo Bailey — who (ironically) would try to sue the rapper for damages (via MTV). Regardless, Bailey copped to the violence in an interview with Salon where he was described as being "amused" over his former bullying, saying, "Damn, that must have scarred him for life." Bailey's case was dismissed in 2003 (via Rolling Stone).
If you or a loved one has experienced a hate crime, contact the VictimConnect Hotline by phone at 1-855-4-VICTIM or by chat for more information or assistance in locating services to help. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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