Mariah Carey Discusses Her Longstanding Feud with Eminem, Addresses 8 Mile Casting Rumors
October 1, 2025 · Music · Music News
Mariah Carey offered a fresh perspective on her decades-long public tension with Eminem during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on October 1, 2025.
Appearing on the show’s “Plead the Fifth” segment, Carey was asked about reports that the dispute began when Eminem allegedly wanted her to portray his mother in the 2002 film 8 Mile. Carey said she’d heard there was some truth to that account but added that the details were fuzzy and it wasn’t clear who initiated the contact.
When host Andy Cohen pressed whether that request sparked their feud, Carey gave an ambivalent reply — suggesting it may have played a part but framing some of the back-and-forth as part of rap persona and lyrical posturing. “That’s a rap lyric,” she noted, emphasizing the difference between on-record taunts and real-life intentions.
Earlier this year, producer Damion “Damizza” Young — who worked with Carey in the late 1980s — claimed on the TFU podcast that he introduced Eminem to the singer. Young alleged Eminem had asked Carey to play his alcoholic mother in 8 Mile, despite the fact that Eminem is reportedly several years younger than her. Carey declined, and the role ultimately went to Kim Basinger.
Young also suggested there was a more personal element to their history, implying the two had a brief romantic connection. Carey has consistently downplayed any long-term relationship with Eminem, characterizing their interactions as limited and not constituting a romance.
Eminem has referenced the rumored liaison in his songs dating back to the early 2000s, most notably across tracks on his 2002 album The Eminem Show — including mentions on songs such as “When the Music Stops” and “Superman.” Carey has repeatedly maintained that any contact between them was minimal and not a committed relationship.
In 2009 Carey appeared to respond playfully to Eminem’s lyrical jabs with the music video for “Obsessed,” in which she portrayed a male stalker — a tongue-in-cheek move many interpreted as an answer to the rapper’s references.
Watch Carey’s full segment from Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in the embedded video below.
