Fresh insights have surfaced regarding the early casting vision for 8 Mile, the 2002 semi-autobiographical film starring rapper Eminem. In an unexpected twist, it has been revealed that Eminem initially considered pop superstar Mariah Carey for the role of his on-screen mother.
This revelation comes from Damizza, a music producer with ties to Carey and a background in managing several hip hop radio stations. During an appearance on the TFU Podcast, Damizza recounted Eminem’s surprising casting preference and the events that followed. “I’m not getting in the middle of that. I know how this ends,” he said, expressing initial reluctance to facilitate the meeting between the two artists. According to him, Carey initially turned down the idea of a meeting, only reconsidering after learning more about the project.
During the eventual meeting, Damizza claims, “the first thing out of Eminem’s mouth is, ‘I want you to play my mother.’” He added that Carey’s “insecurities kicked in big time” upon hearing the unexpected proposal.
What began as a professional discussion allegedly shifted into a brief romantic episode, according to Damizza. “It was her chasing him, not him chasing her,” he stated. “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 romantic relationship between the rapper and the pop singer date back to 2001, although Carey has consistently denied any romantic involvement. Eminem, on the other hand, publicly referenced their alleged interactions in his 2009 diss track, The Warning. The song served as a rebuttal to Carey’s hit Obsessed, which many interpreted as a veiled critique of Eminem.
On The Warning, 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 more explicit remarks: “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.”
In the end, Carey did not participate in 8 Mile. The role of Stephanie, the protagonist’s mother, was ultimately portrayed by acclaimed actress Kim Basinger, whose performance earned significant praise from critics and helped elevate the film’s authenticity and emotional depth.
