Eminem assails ex for negative comments

[Tha Dog]

PUBLISHED: Friday, March 23, 2007
Eminem assails ex for negative comments

Disparaging public statements hurt 11-year-old daughter, rapper says

By Jameson Cook
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Eminem has accused his ex-wife of making "disparaging remarks" about
him in the media and asked a judge to order her to stop making such
public comments.

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Eminem -- Marshall Bruce Mathers III -- filed a motion in Macomb
County Circuit Court complaining about Kimberley Mathers talking to
television, radio and print media about their relationship. He said
her comments negatively affect their 11-year-old daughter and her view
of her parents.

"During those interviews, defendant has contradicted herself and made
disparaging remarks about plaintiff, including but not limited to
claims that plaintiff is a) a horrible person who gets worse every
day; b) has 'nothing positive' between him and the children; and c) is
'slacking very much when it comes to the kids,'" Eminem says through
his attorney, Harvey Hauer, in the legal brief filed March 16.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Monday in front of Chief
Judge Antonio Viviano.

Eminem, 34, in the brief calls Mathers' comments "inflammatory" and
having been made without "realizing the detrimental effect this could
have" on their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott.

"The child's exposure to intense conflict between her parents,
including trash talking and verbally abusive behavior as manifested in
defendant's recent media blitz, is well-known to be a major risk
factor in a child's adjustment to her parents' divorce," the brief
says. "Being caught in her parents' pain and anger could have
detrimental effects to the child's happiness, development and human
relationships."

Hauer and Mathers' attorney, Michael J. Smith, could not be reached
for comment Thursday.

The couple's second divorce was finalized Dec. 19. They agreed to
shared custody of their daughter. The divorce came after the couple
was remarried less than one year.

Mathers, 32, of Macomb Township, also has a younger child from another
relationship and takes care of a teen niece.

Hauer says in the brief that since the divorce was finalized, Mathers
has appeared on "20/20 Lovers Revenge" on ABC-TV (Channel 7), WJBK-TV
(Channel 2), on the "Mojo in the Morning" show WKQI-FM (95.5) and
nationally televised "Dr. Keith Ablow Show," seen locally on Channel
2, and has been quoted in Star and People magazines.

Some of Mathers' comments to Mojo in the Morning, and a response by
Eminem, on Feb. 16 were sent over The Associated Press wire and
appeared Feb. 17 in The Macomb Daily.

Hauer says Mathers contradicted herself because last December, she
said on "20/20" that Eminem is an "excellent father" and "very
responsible and loving toward the kids."

In the February radio interview, Mojo asked Mathers about the
potential impact on her children of her speaking publicly, the brief
says. Mathers responded: "And I finally got to say something to defend
myself once. They (the children) already see, I mean, how things are
around the house. I mean, they already know how their dad's been
acting. It's not a surprise to them that he hasn't been around and
helping out."

The brief says their daughter either hears the comments directly or
second-hand from friends or friends' parents.