Eminem’s Testifies Against Real Life Stan Convicted Of Stalking Rapper
Eminem testified in a Michigan courtroom this week as the man who twice broke into his home was convicted of aggravated stalking and first-degree home invasion.
A Macomb County jury found 29-year-old Matthew Hughes guilty on May 7 for an August 2024 break-in at the rapper’s Clinton Township residence.
This marked the second time Hughes unlawfully entered the property—his first intrusion in April 2020 ended with a face-to-face confrontation with the rap legend in the living room.
During that earlier incident, Hughes shattered a window with a brick and entered while Eminem was asleep. The rapper testified that Hughes told him he was there to kill him before being restrained by security until police arrived.
Hughes pleaded guilty to second-degree home invasion in 2021, receiving probation and time served.
He was later jailed for violating that probation. Despite that, he returned to the property in August 2024, slipping through an unlocked door, stealing a bicycle and fleeing after being spotted by security.
He was arrested four days later at a nearby Walmart.
The 2025 trial lasted two days, with Eminem taking the stand. Jurors deliberated for less than 30 minutes before reaching a verdict.
Court records show Hughes had a disturbing pattern of behavior, including trespassing on a property Em used to own, while reportedly searching for the rapper.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 and could face several years behind bars.
The case has drawn attention not only because of Eminem’s celebrity but also due to the eerie parallels with his 2000 hit “Stan,” a cautionary tale about an obsessive fan whose devotion spirals into violence.
Ironically, the term “stan” has since entered pop culture as slang for overzealous fandom—though in Hughes’ case, the obsession turned criminal.