DETROIT, MI -- The "Headlights" song and Spike Lee-directed video for it were nice, but Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers actually wants to see her son and repair a relationship that's been estranged for at least 13 years.

Mathers, 59, made that clear Wednesday in a statement to MLive.com and claims she hasn't seen her son for several years after repeated attempts to meet with him.

She also claims the 41-year-old Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, knows how to get in touch with her - if he wants to.

"I just want to give him a big hug," Debbie Mathers said in the statement sent to MLive.com. "Mama is waiting with open arms."

"Life is short. Come here, Mama wants a hug."

Mathers' statement was sent to MLive.com by way of her friend Molly Marshall, who claims Debbie Mathers has "been down lately about the whole situation."

"It doesn't matter how hard she's tried," Molly Marshall said. "She can't get through to him, and she's feeling quite deflated about it."

Dennis Dennehy, Eminem’s publicist, declined to confirm or deny in an e-mail to Mlive.com whether or not the rapper has physically met with his mother to make any sort of amends or intends to do so.

Dennehy reiterated the message he gave MLive.com on May 11 that said Eminem has addressed everything about his mother and the relationship in the "Headlights" song - featured on his latest Marshall Mathers LP 2 album - and the video.

"The song and video speak for themselves," Dennehy wrote.

Molly Marshall wouldn't confirm or deny if Debbie Mathers still lives in Michigan, but did say she frequents "several places" and visits the state often.

Online records show the last known mailing address for Debbie Mathers - who also goes by Debbie Briggs and Debbie Olsen - is a P.O. Box in St. Joseph, Mo.

She raised her son primarily in Warren and Detroit, including a home at 19946 Dresden on Detroit's east side that was torn down last fall by the State of Michigan because it was deemed unsafe.

The Dresden home, in a blighted state, is featured on the cover of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP 2 album.

Debbie Mathers claims through her friend Molly Marshall that the "Headlights" video directed by Lee shows an accurate portrayal of her efforts to get her son's attention at his home by a security gate.

That, however, is the closest Debbie Mathers claims she's been to giving her son a warm embrace after years of drama that resulted in everything from harsh song lyrics to a defamation lawsuit.

Molly Marshall claims Debbie Mathers is so eager to see her son that she quoted over the phone to her Monday night Steve Perry's lyrics to the Journey song "Open Arms."

"She simply wants to hold her boy," Marshall said.

Eminem mentions in the “Headlights” song lyrics directed at his mother that “to this day we remain estranged and I hate it though, ‘cause you ain’t even get to witness your grandbabies grow.”

Lyrics in “Headlights” also mention that his mother’s “mental state is deteriorating slow.”

Neal Alpert, another friend of Debbie Mathers, said in April she seemed to be in good health and spirits, and is eager to repair her relationship with Eminem.

"To my knowledge she is doing OK," Alpert said

Eminem, better known as Slim Shady, issues an apology to his mother in “Headlights” for harsh and abusive lyrics dating back to 1999 that were used in several songs including “My Name Is” and “My Mom.”

The lyrics were the focus of Debbie Mathers' defamation lawsuit in 2001 that led to her pursuit of $11 million worth of damages.

She reportedly settled for $25,000, but only netted $1,600 of that because the rest reportedly went to attorney fees.

Debbie Mathers appeared to regroup after the settlement and co-wrote a 259-page book called "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem" that was released in 2007.

It was co-written by New York journalist Annette Witheridge.

The book, upon its release, was described by the publisher as “the inside truth about Marshall Bruce Mathers III” that attempts to “untangle the outspoken and enigmatic alter egos Eminem and Slim Shady.”

Witheridge told MLive.com she spent more than a year working with Debbie Mathers on the book and agrees with Alpert the matriarch seems eager to repair the relationship.

“Nothing would make Debbie happier than if Eminem were to make amends with her,” Witheridge said. “She has longed to have a proper relationship with him for many, many years.

“I don’t know if she’d like to explain to him what happened when she sued him … but she has never stopped loving him.”

Witheridge believes that Debbie Mathers would like a private meeting with her son to “bury the hatchet."

“I think she would prefer not to be in the spotlight because of his fans,” Witheridge said. “I do know that when he first became famous and was singing about Debbie, that she would get fans throwing chewing gum at her in the shopping mall and it would get stuck in her hair.

“She became the most hated mother in America.”