Tears, Tunes, and Family: Hailie Talks Watching Eminem’s F1 Concert in Austin

Hailie reveals how an unexpected performance by her dad at Austin’s F1 show turned into an unforgettable, tear-filled experience for her and the family.

When Hailie went to the F1 Grand Prix weekend a couple of weeks ago, she thought it was going to be just a fun day out — exploring the grounds, grabbing some merch, taking in the high-energy atmosphere. And, maybe, sitting through her dad’s short set. But little did she know that Eminem had a surprise up his sleeve that would leave her and the rest of the family in tears.

Hailie, her sister Alaina, another sibling, Stevie (who was watching via FaceTime), and Em’s brother Nate all settled in, expecting a casual watch of the show. But when the opening notes of “Temporary” filled the air, they realized this was not just any performance — it was an emotional one. Hailie and her family found themselves completely caught off guard with no heads-up that these songs would be on the setlist. Hailie recounted on her podcast:

We were sitting there, and the song started playing, and all of a sudden, we were bawling.

In the absence of tissues, they shared the only napkin they had, moved by the moment:

I had one napkin under my drink. I grabbed that, we were ripping it in half and passing it around. Really, there was no warning. I think that was his first time performing it live. I was like, oh my gosh. I didn’t know if he was going to cry, but we were all crying. I’m like, okay, hopefully, no one’s looking at us right now. Everyone else is probably singing it. And then I looked at Alaina at one point. I’m like, is everyone crying, or is it just us? She’s like, I don’t know, I think it’s just us.

The show itself was amazing! It’s been so long since I’ve seen a full show from him. I thought it was a couple of songs. And then I found out it was a whole show. I’m like, oh, sick! It’s really happening!

The night became more than just another concert for Hailie and her family; it was a heartfelt, unexpected bonding experience they will not soon forget.