Eminem is celebrating a major personal milestone, marking 18 years of sobriety with a recent Instagram post. The rapper shared a simple photo highlighting the importance of his long journey to recovery. The rapper is known for his openness about past struggles, a feat reflecting years of commitment that has garnered supportive reactions from friends and fans.
On April 20, Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, shared a simple post on his social media showing a black and gold sobriety chip with the Roman numeral “XVII,” marking his 18 years of sobriety. The saying “Be True to Thyself” was written on the border, and the words “unity”, “service” and “restoration” were written on the sides of a triangle. He added the caption “XVII”, followed by a 1st place medal emoji.
Many fans congratulated the 53-year-old rapper on the remarkable milestone, with one writing: “My GOAT has been sober for 18 years, I’m so happy for you uncle.” One user added: “F-cking 18 years. In a nutshell, it’s called standing the test of time.”
Others also shared photos of their sobriety tokens, with one person sharing that Eminem had motivated them. “LETS GO KING!!! Inspired me to quit when I saw you in Austin! I’m proud to be 1 YEAR SOBER!!!!”
The rapper had a near-fatal overdose in 2007
Eminem has been open about his substance abuse issues and once said he took between 10 and 20 pills a day. “I was taking Valium, Ambien and Vicodin. And I was taking a lot of them… The numbers got so high that I don’t even know what I was taking,” he wrote in an essay for Atmosphere review.
The rapper had been going through personal issues that led to his near-fatal overdose in 2007. He filed for divorce a second time from Kim Scott the previous year and his best friend was killed in a bar fight the following week. In December 2007, Eminem collapsed in the bathroom of his home after overdosing on methadone pills. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors said if he had been brought there two hours later, he would not have survived.
“I didn’t even want to believe it was an illness. But I realized it when I almost died, and then I started using again anyway. I literally almost died,” he explained.
Eminem detailed his overdose in a documentary
In 2025 the documentary “Stans” is released, which looks back on the rapper’s career through the eyes of his fans. In it, Eminem shared details of his overdose, saying he was in a “vicious” cycle of depression and pills. “I woke up in the hospital and I didn’t know what happened. I woke up in the hospital with tubes in me and shit and I couldn’t get up. I wanted to move,” he said.
One of the main reasons he decided to get sober was his daughter, Hailie Jade. Eminem had missed his first guitar recital because of his overdose and he was consumed by guilt. At that moment, the rapper thought that if he couldn’t get sober for himself, he could at least do it for his daughter. He entered rehab in 2008 and has been sober ever since.
Elton John helped the rapper on his sobriety journey
One of the people Eminem turned to for advice in his sobriety journey was legendary singer Elton John, who had been sober since 1990. In 2010, John said in an interview, “I’ve helped Eminem over the last 18 months, and he’s doing brilliantly,” as reported The Guardian.
The rapper said he thought of the singer when he decided to get sober because John also worked in the entertainment industry and could relate to his lifestyle. “He understands the pressure and all the other reasons you want to give for doing drugs,” Eminem explained.
Eminem and John first met at the 2001 Grammys when they performed “Stan” together. Around this time, the rapper was criticized for lyrics that some perceived as homophobic. However, years later, John defended the rapper, saying he never considered him homophobic. Since then, the two have developed a close bond that extends beyond their work in entertainment.
Eminem became a grandfather for the second time
His 18 years of sobriety aren’t the only thing Eminem is celebrating. On April 14, the rapper’s adopted daughter, Alaina Marie Scott, gave birth to a daughter named Scottie. This birth marks the second time Eminem has become a grandfather in less than two years.
In March 2025, Hailie gave birth to a son named Elliot Marshall McClintok, the middle name serving as a nod to his father.
Eminem is reportedly working on various projects and, according to his manager, Paul Rosenberg, he is developing new music. However, no confirmation has been given as to when a new album will be released.