Eminem speaks over second divorce

Eminem's real name is Marshall Mathers III

Rapper Eminem has spoken out about divorcing his wife for the second time after she made comments the marriage failed because of his drug addiction.

Kim Mathers told a US radio show that Eminem was "having problems", referring to his stint in a rehabilitation clinic for addiction to prescription pills.

She also said she was surprised to find out about the divorce through lawyers.

But Eminem hit back, denying he was suffering from drug problems and adding she was aware they were divorcing.

He said: "The details surrounding both my marriage and subsequent filing for divorce are private, and I had hoped to keep them that way for the sake of my family.

"However, a few of Kim's statements in a radio interview this morning need to be addressed.

"First, her allegations regarding my status post-rehab are both untrue and unfortunate. Second, she was aware that I was filing for divorce."

He added: "We both tried to give our marriage another chance and quickly realised that a wedding doesn't fix the underlying problems."

The couple were both brought up in the same Detroit suburb

On the day it was revealed Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers III, and Kim were divorcing after 83 days of marriage, she telephoned a local radio station to tell her side of the story.

"He's having problems with, you know, his problem that he had," she said about his rehabilitation clinic stay for addiction to sleep medication last year.

"Right after he came home from his rehab, we started to have a few problems, and I thought it was going to be in our best interest to delay the wedding.

"But he really pushed it and I thought it was really going to be something that worked this time."

She added she did not want to get divorced and had hoped they were going to get counselling together to save their marriage.

The pair, who were childhood sweethearts, first married in 1999 but they soon separated and began a high-profile custody battle for their daughter Hailie.

Eminem wrote a song called Kim in which he fantasised about killing her.

It came as a surprise to fans when they announced in January that they had remarried.