In a recently shared personal moment, Alaina Scott, the adopted daughter of rap legend Eminem, opened up about a turning point in her teenage years that almost changed her identity forever—but was halted by a quiet yet powerful act of love from her father.
Alaina, who was born to Eminem’s former sister-in-law Dawn Scott, has long been embraced by fans as part of the close-knit, unconventional family the rapper built around himself. Raised by Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) from a young age, Alaina has spoken in the past about her gratitude, but also the emotional complexity of being adopted during a time of family struggle.
In a heartfelt interview with The Detroit Chronicle, Alaina revealed that during her high school years, she secretly considered dropping the last name “Scott” and returning to her birth surname—the one tied to her biological mother, who battled addiction for years before tragically passing away in 2016.
“I Felt Like I Was Erasing Her”
“There were moments when I felt guilty for growing up in stability while my birth mom was spiraling,” Alaina confessed. “I had this last name, ‘Scott,’ but it didn’t feel real. It felt like a reminder that I didn’t belong to either world fully.”
Consumed by emotional conflict, Alaina drafted the legal paperwork to change her last name. She didn’t tell Eminem. She didn’t need to. Somehow, he found out.
“I don’t know how he knew,” she said, smiling softly. “But one day, after school, there was a letter waiting for me in my room.”
Eminem’s Letter—and the Six Words
What followed was a moment Alaina says she’ll never forget.
“It wasn’t dramatic. He didn’t sit me down. There wasn’t a lecture. Just a letter, sealed, with my name written on it in his handwriting.”
The letter, which Alaina has never shared publicly in full, described moments Eminem remembered from her childhood—her first bike ride, the night she stayed up sick and he held her until morning, the way she used to call him “Dad” before fully understanding what it meant.
At the bottom of the page was a single sentence. Just six words.
“You’ve always been mine, without question.”
Alaina said she cried reading it, overwhelmed by the quiet, unwavering love behind those words.
“That was it. I tore up the paperwork the next day,” she said. “I didn’t need a different name. I had everything I needed in that letter.”
Fans React: “This Is Fatherhood”
The emotional story has since circulated widely, especially among longtime Eminem fans who have followed his tumultuous rise from troubled artist to fiercely protective father.
“This is what fatherhood looks like,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Not words, not headlines. Just presence and love.”
“Those six words carry more weight than a thousand,” another fan commented. “Marshall’s the realest dad out there.”
Despite his often-intense public image, Eminem has consistently shown a softer side when it comes to his daughters—Hailie Jade, Whitney, and Alaina. He rarely speaks about them publicly, but his lyrics and quiet acts, like this one, have spoken volumes.
“He never asked me to stay,” Alaina concluded. “He just reminded me that I already belonged.”