Eminem Wanted Mariah Carey In 8 Mile

Eminem Reportedly Wanted Mariah Carey to Play His Mom in 8 Mile

In one of the more unexpected behind-the-scenes revelations from early 2000s hip-hop culture, music producer Damizza has claimed that Eminem once wanted none other than Mariah Carey to play the role of his mother in the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile.

According to Damizza—who worked closely with Carey at the time—Eminem was eager to meet the pop diva to discuss the role, but Carey initially declined the meeting, unaware it was related to a film project. When she later found out about 8 Mile, the proposed role itself reportedly struck a nerve. Eminem had asked Carey to play his mother, a suggestion that Damizza says triggered insecurities for the superstar singer.

While the casting never came to be, the story didn’t end there. That professional outreach reportedly opened the door to a brief romantic entanglement between the two icons. Despite Eminem publicly downplaying their relationship, Damizza claims it was Carey who pursued the rapper during that time.

The two stars would later become embroiled in a very public feud, trading barbs through songs and interviews—a far cry from the unlikely movie collaboration that almost was.

While Mariah Carey never joined 8 Mile, the film went on to become a critical and commercial success, with Kim Basinger ultimately cast as the fictionalized version of Eminem’s mother. Still, this surprising bit of Hollywood “what-if” continues to fascinate fans of both artists.