Eminem's Daughter Hailie Jade Reflects On Her Childhood And The Struggles Her Dad Faced

Now that Eminem’s daughter, Hailie Jade, has become a parent herself, she’s taking a moment to look back at what it was like growing up as the child of a global superstar.

Being the daughter of someone who helped reshape the rap scene in the early 2000s must’ve been quite the whirlwind. There’s no doubt her childhood was anything but ordinary.

She had to deal with paparazzi popping up out of nowhere, die-hard fans trying to meet her famous dad, and media attention at every turn—even showing up to big public events when she was just a little kid.

Even though it might sound like a dream come true to be able to say Eminem is your dad, Hailie Jade McClintock says it wasn’t always as glamorous as people might think.

The 29-year-old recently spoke with People magazine and opened up about her experience. She also spoke about her own child, Elliot Marshall, who is now growing up with a similar kind of spotlight on him.

As a young girl, Hailie was exposed to quite a lot—from hearing songs that detailed her parents’ complicated relationship to having strangers recognize her and call her name in public places.

Hailie Jade McClintock reflects on her childhood YouTube/EminemMusic

Now that she’s older, she’s really starting to process what her upbringing was like in a deeper way.

"Having been in the spotlight for so long, I've learned the importance of balancing what I share publicly with what I keep private." she shared during the interview.

Even though her name was known to the public, Hailie says she was fortunate that her personal details stayed out of the limelight. Thanks to her father’s efforts, she was able to enjoy a fairly normal life behind the scenes.

Now that she’s a mother herself, Hailie says she has a newfound appreciation for everything her dad did to protect her and her sisters from being too exposed to the public eye.

"Over time, I've come to understand the struggle my father faced - wanting to protect our privacy while also feeling proud and wanting to celebrate his kids." she acknowledged.

Since welcoming her son in March with her husband Evan McClintock, she’s come to realize just how challenging that kind of protection can be. She now relates to her father’s effort on a whole new level.

"I feel the same way now." she said, continuing with "I want to share the proud, joyful moments that mean a lot to me, especially as a parent, but I'm also intentional about keeping certain parts of our lives just for us."

She explained that, for her, the real challenge lies in finding a balance. It’s important to her to share meaningful and joyful moments, especially now as a parent, while still keeping certain parts of her life private. She added, "And that balance has become even more important to me as I navigate parenthood."

Eminem struggled with keeping his kids private Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, is the father of three children with his ex, Kim Hailie, Alaina Scott, and Stevie Laine Scott.

He has often said that becoming a dad turned his life around in more ways than one.

"Bein' a dad is definitely living a double life." Eminem told Rolling Stone in an interview back in 2004. "Even before Hailie was born, I was a firm believer in freedom of speech ... But once I hit them gates where I live, that's when I'm Dad."

He added more thoughts by saying, "Takin' the kids to school, pickin' 'em up, teachin' 'em rules. I'm not sayin' I'm the perfect father, but the most important thing is to be there for my kids and raise them the right way."

He’s also talked about how his children were a huge reason he decided to get sober. While in rehab, he found it nearly impossible to focus on his addiction, because being a dad was front and center in his mind—even more than his fame.

"I love them so much and they've helped me through so many things." he revealed to The New York Times Magazine back in 2010.