In a rare, candid interview with Vanity Fair, Hailie Jade Scott, 28, opened up about growing up in the shadow of her father, rap icon Eminem (Marshall Mathers), and the “invisible wounds” she witnessed behind his success. From his turbulent rise in Detroit to the constant glare of fame, Hailie says she’s only now able to fully appreciate “the struggle he faced to protect me and Mom.”
“As a kid, I saw my dad go from battling street violence to battling his own demons,” Hailie told Rolling Stone. “I thought rap battles were the hardest part—turns out, the hardest battles were offstage.”
@EminemVault “Hailie Jade on her father’s resilience: ‘He fought every day so my childhood felt normal.’” Tweet by Eminem Vault
Born in 1995 to Eminem and his then-wife Kim Scott, Hailie endured her parents’ on-again, off-again relationship while her father launched albums such as The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. “I was too young to grasp the controversies—like the bleach-blonde hair, the lawsuits, the public feuds,” she explained. “But I did grasp the tension at home.”
During the early 2000s, as Eminem’s fame exploded, Hailie moved frequently between her mother’s house in Warren, Michigan, and her father’s various properties. A Reuters profile notes that the upheaval gave her a childhood “rooted in uncertainty.” Yet she insists those years shaped her resilience.
@Billboard “Hailie Jade: ‘All the moving around taught me to find stability within myself.’” Tweet by Billboard Music
Hailie credits her father’s late-night writing sessions for inspiring her own work ethic—she graduated valedictorian from Chippewa Valley High School before earning a degree in psychology from Michigan State University. “Watching him wrestle with lyrics at 3 a.m. taught me that passion demands sacrifice,” she said in her interview with NPR.
Behind the scenes, Eminem battled addiction and depression—a struggle he detailed in 2009’s Relapse and 2010’s Recovery. Hailie recalls a turning point: “I remember Mom crying one night, and Dad sitting at the kitchen counter, just staring. He didn’t know I was watching, but I knew something had broken inside him.”
@ComplexMusic “Hailie Jade reveals witnessing Eminem’s darkest days: ‘He wasn’t battling rappers—he was battling himself.’” Tweet by Complex Music
After a near-fatal prescription overdose in 2007, Eminem spent months in rehab. Hailie credits that period for her father’s eventual turnaround. “He came home with tears in his eyes,” she shared. “He hugged me and said, ‘I keep fighting for you.’ That moment cemented my respect for his sacrifices.”
Now a successful content creator and entrepreneur—her lifestyle blog and wellness brand have amassed over two million followers—Hailie uses her platform to discuss mental health and self-care. She attributes this mission to lessons learned during her father’s recovery. “If he hadn’t confronted his demons, I wouldn’t be here sharing mine,” she told Elle Magazine.
@MentalHealthAm “Hailie Jade: Using her story to destigmatize mental health in the music industry.” Tweet by Mental Health America
Despite the public eye, Hailie kept her personal life largely private until now. She rarely comments on her father’s new music—she did praise 2024’s Music to Be Murdered By as “powerful and honest.” Yet she acknowledges that Eminem’s vulnerability in songs like “Castle” and “You’re Never Over” gave her courage to be open about her own struggles.
Social media reaction to Hailie’s interview has been overwhelmingly supportive. Under the hashtag #HailieSpeaks, fans applauded her candor. User @MusicHeals wrote, “Seeing the apple not fall far from the tree—Hailie’s strength is her father’s legacy.” Another, @RealTalkDaily, commented, “Mental health warriors come in all forms—respect to Hailie and Marshall.”
@MusicHeals “Hailie Jade’s reflections remind us that every icon has a backstory of battle.” Tweet by Music Heals
Hailie also revealed her favorite childhood track: “Mockingbird,” in which Eminem raps about her and her sister Alaina. “Every time I hear it now, I feel his love and regret in every line,” she said, voice trembling. “He was apologizing for a world he felt he’d failed me in—yet he kept fighting.”
Today, father and daughter share a close bond rooted in mutual admiration. On his 2025 world tour, Eminem surprised fans by inviting Hailie onstage in London, where they embraced to thunderous applause as captured in Billboard’s concert recap. “That hug was everything,” she told Vanity Fair. “It said, ‘We made it.’”
@BillboardLive “A rare father-daughter moment: Hailie Jade joins Eminem onstage during London tour stop.” Tweet by Billboard Live
As she reflects on her upbringing, Hailie expresses gratitude for her father’s unspoken lessons. “He taught me resilience, loyalty, and the power of truth—no matter how painful,” she concluded. “My childhood wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And that’s the greatest gift he could give me.”
