Eminem Reportedly Wanted Mariah Carey to Play His Mom in 8 Mile
In one of the most surprising behind-the-scenes revelations from 8 Mile, Eminem reportedly wanted pop superstar Mariah Carey to play the role of his mother in the film. The unexpected detail was shared by Damizza — a music producer who worked with Carey and held executive positions at various Hip Hop radio stations — during a recent interview on the TFU Podcast.
According to Damizza, Eminem was eager to meet Carey specifically to discuss the role. When initially approached about facilitating a meeting between the two artists, Damizza hesitated. “I’m not getting in the middle of that. I know how this ends,” he recalled thinking.
Carey initially declined to take the meeting, unaware that it was connected to the upcoming movie project. Once she learned about 8 Mile, however, she agreed to sit down with the Detroit rapper. Damizza described the pivotal moment when Eminem made his intentions clear. “The first thing out of [Eminem’s] mouth is, ‘I want you to play my mother,’” he said.
The suggestion reportedly caught Carey off guard. Damizza noted, “Her insecurities kicked in big time,” implying that the pop icon was uncomfortable with the idea of portraying a mother figure — especially one so closely tied to Eminem’s gritty personal narrative.
The professional meeting reportedly led to a brief romantic entanglement between the two music stars. Damizza claimed, “It was her chasing him, not him chasing her. Next thing I know, we are at Eminem’s house… and they disappear. The second they went into his room, literally, I was like, I’m going back to LA. There is no point of me being here. It went from business to fucking.”
Rumors of a short-lived romance between Eminem and Carey have circulated for years, with speculation dating back to 2001. Carey has consistently denied the relationship, but Eminem has referenced it multiple times in his music.
The rapper made some of his most pointed remarks about Carey on his 2009 diss track “The Warning,” a response to her single “Obsessed,” which many listeners interpreted as being aimed at him. On the track, Eminem rapped: “Wow Mariah, didn’t expect you to go balls out / Bitch shut the fuck up ‘fore I put all them phone calls out / You made to my house when you was Wild’n Out before Nick / When you was on my dick and give you something to smile about.”
He continued with explicit details of their alleged encounters, rapping: “Listen, girly, surely you don’t want me to talk about how I nutted early / ‘Cause I ejaculated prematurely / And bust all over your belly and you almost started hurling / And said I was gross, go get a towel, your stomach’s curling.”
Ultimately, Mariah Carey did not appear in 8 Mile. The role of Eminem’s mother, Stephanie Smith, was instead played by Academy Award-winning actress Kim Basinger, whose performance received critical acclaim.
This latest revelation adds another layer of intrigue to the long-standing, complicated narrative between Eminem and Carey. While the pop diva may have passed on the film role, the connection between the two artists continues to fuel fascination decades later.
