Eminem Joins Jack White for a Career-Defining Detroit Show at the Lions’ 86th Annual Thanksgiving Day Classic — With His Daughter Hailie and Grandson Elliot Watching in the Crowd

Ford Field shook like it was hosting a rock festival instead of a football showdown on Thursday, as two of Detroit’s most legendary sons — Jack White and Eminem — turned the 86th Annual Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Classic into a hometown celebration of noise, nostalgia, and generational pride.

What fans didn’t see until after the show, however, was perhaps the most touching moment of the night:
Eminem’s daughter, Hailie Jade, and his young grandson Elliot were in the stadium, watching their father — and grandfather — storm the stage in Detroit for the very first time together.

A Halftime Set That Felt Like a Homecoming

Jack White opened the halftime show with “That’s How I’m Feeling,” a standout from his 2024 album No Name. His guitar tone sliced through Ford Field like a siren, the crowd roaring as he prowled the 50-yard line, turning an NFL stage into an arena-rock cathedral.

But the moment that sent shockwaves through the stadium came next.

The lights cut to black.
A low rumble rolled through the speakers.
Then a familiar voice hit the first line:

“’Cause sometimes you just feel tired…”

Ford Field erupted as Eminem emerged through a pillar of blue light, striding toward White for a blistering, hard-rock re-imagining of his iconic track “’Till I Collapse.” White’s guitar turned the song into a stadium anthem, while Eminem delivered his verses with the fire of someone reclaiming home turf.

A Family Moment Nobody Expected

Unbeknownst to most of the 65,000 fans screaming in the stands, a scene was unfolding in a private box near the 40-yard line:
Hailie Jade — Eminem’s famously private daughter — was watching her father perform live in Detroit for the first time with her infant son, Elliot, in her arms.

Witnesses said Hailie stood for the entire performance, smiling through tears as Eminem shouted out his city, pounding his chest at the line:

“From Detroit, the motherf—in’ city that made me!”

One fan seated nearby said:

“When Eminem came on, you could see Hailie immediately lift Elliot so he could see the stage. It was emotional — three generations of Mathers watching Detroit cheer for Marshall.”

Sources close to the family say Elliot, barely old enough to understand the significance, “kept clapping and pointing at the field whenever Marshall’s voice boomed.”
It was the first time Eminem had performed a major stadium set with his daughter and grandson present — a quiet milestone that made the night feel even more historic.

Jack White Closes With a Detroit Anthem

After the explosive duet, White grabbed the spotlight once more for a thunderous performance of “Seven Nation Army.”
With the Detroit Lions Cheerleaders marching behind him and the bass riff vibrating through the stadium rafters, the field transformed into a blue-and-silver battlefield of noise.

A Night Produced by Eminem Himself

This year’s halftime show wasn’t just a performance — it was a Detroit collaboration years in the making.
Eminem, along with longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, executive-produced the entire event as part of a multi-year deal with the Lions to shape Thanksgiving halftime shows through 2027.

White’s performance marked the second major event under this partnership — and the first time Eminem himself stepped onto the field under his own production banner.

The Game… Almost Didn’t Live Up to the Show

At halftime, the Packers led 17–14, dampening Lions fans’ hopes of recreating last year’s rare Thanksgiving victory. But after the White-Eminem spectacle, energy surged through the stadium, giving Detroit a badly needed jolt of belief.

A Full-Circle Detroit Moment

Earlier this month, Jack White was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside Meg White, celebrating the legacy of The White Stripes.
Eminem joined the Hall in 2022.

Seeing the two share a Detroit stage again — this time with Eminem’s daughter and grandson in the audience — made the 2025 Thanksgiving Classic feel like more than a tradition.

It felt like a passing of the torch.
A celebration of family, legacy, and hometown loyalty.
A moment Detroit will replay for years.