Eminem’s Daughter Hailie Jade Reveals A Secret Struggle Her Father Faced

Hailie Jade McClintock is embracing motherhood, and with it, a newfound understanding of her famous father, Eminem.

Just two months after welcoming her first child, a baby boy named Elliot Marshall McClintock, with her husband, Evan McClintock, the 29-year-old influencer and podcast host is opening up about how parenting has deepened her appreciation for the challenges Eminem faced in raising children in the spotlight.

“Having been in the spotlight for so long, I’ve learned the importance of balancing what I share publicly with what I keep private,” Hailie told PEOPLE. “Over time, I’ve come to understand the struggle my father faced, wanting to protect our privacy while also feeling proud and wanting to celebrate his kids.”

Now a mother herself, Hailie admits she’s wrestling with those same instincts. “I feel the same way now,” she said. “I want to share the proud, joyful moments that mean a lot to me, especially as a parent, but I’m also intentional about keeping certain parts of our lives just for us.”

Hailie, a Michigan State University grad, currently hosts the popular "Just a Little Shady" podcast, but says her approach to public life has shifted since becoming a parent. “That balance has become even more important to me as I navigate parenthood,” she shared.

Hailie is one of Eminem’s three adult children. The rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, shares her, as well as daughters Alaina Marie Scott, 32, and Stevie Laine Scott, 23, with ex-wife Kim Scott.

The newest addition to the family, little Elliot, was born on March 14, 2025, nearly a year after Hailie and Evan tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Greencrest Manor in Battle Creek, Michigan. The couple, who began dating in 2016, got engaged in February 2023.

It’s been nearly three decades since Eminem first rapped about his daughter, and today, she’s all grown up, married, and making her own mark in the world.  Fans will remember her name from tracks like “Mockingbird” and “Hailie’s Song,” but beyond the lyrics, Eminem’s love for his daughter has always been front and center.

“She’s made me proud for sure,” the 15-time Grammy winner gushed during a 2020 appearance on Mike Tyson’s "Hotboxin’" podcast. “She graduated from college, had a 3.9 GPA.”

Then, in November 2022, Hailie joined her father at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Eminem was honored for his iconic career. The stylish duo rocked matching black leather jackets, and Hailie later reflected on her childhood memories of touring with her dad.

“Those memories of me thinking those were normal things, now I look back and I’m like, ‘Holy crap, that was cool,’” she shared on her podcast.

Raising kids in the spotlight isn't the only struggle Eminem has faced.

The 15-time Grammy winner has been refreshingly honest over the years about his substance abuse, revealing how fame, pressure, and personal pain led him down a dangerous path.

Eminem’s issues with prescription drugs began in the late ’90s and spiraled out of control as his career exploded. At the height of his addiction, he was taking up to 60 Valium and 30 Vicodin pills a day. He also relied on Ambien to sleep and used methadone, a synthetic opioid he mistook for a weaker painkiller.

In 2007, his world came crashing down. The rapper was rushed to the hospital after a methadone overdose.

Following the overdose, Eminem attempted rehab but relapsed several times before finally getting clean in 2008. He credits a rehabilitation counselor, a strict exercise routine (including running 17 miles a day), and the support of close friends and family, especially his daughter Hailie, for helping him stay on track.

In 2009, he released "Relapse," an album he later confessed was written under the influence of Ambien. But by the time "Recovery" dropped in 2010, Eminem was truly sober, and using his music to reflect on the painful journey that nearly cost him everything.

Now sober for over 16 years, the Detroit native often celebrates his milestones on social media by sharing his AA anniversary chips. In a 2020 post marking 12 years sober, he wrote, “Clean dozen, in the books! I’m not afraid.”