Eminem is scheduled to appear in a Macomb County, Michigan court next month to
defend himself against a defamation lawsuit.
Eminem and sanitation engineer DeAngelo Bailey, 32, of Warren could not come
to a settlement after mediation and proposals to settle the case were
rejected.
Bailey, a childhood associate of Eminem, claimed he was defamed on 1999’s
track “Brain Damage” from the Slim Shady LP. He is seeking over $1 million
dollars.
In the song, Eminem claims Bailey was a bully who teased, tormented and beat
the rapper bloody during their childhood.
The official lawsuit claims “this case arises out of Eminem’s desperate
quest for money, fame and acceptance. This style of music is dominated by
African-American artists and most of the songs are about the difficulties
facing young in ghetto’s where violence, broken families and financial
hardship are prevalent. Eminem is a Caucasian male who faces criticism
within the music industry that he had not suffered…and he therefore was a
‘pretender.'”
The lawsuit goes on to deny that Eminem was the recipient of “outrageous and
grotesque physical abuse from his childhood friend, Bailey.”
Bailey claims that Eminem did permanent damage to his musical career and
caused him anger, embarrassment.
Eminem said in an 1999 interview with Rolling Stone that the song’s lyrics
had truth to them.
Motherf**ker [Bailey] used to beat the sh*t out of me,” Eminem said.
“Everything in that song is true. One day he came in the bathroom, I was
pissing, and he beat this sh*t out of me. [I] p##### all over myself.
The case will go to trial May 30 in Macomb County Circuit Court.
