Eminem Sentenced to Two Years of Probation

April 10, 2001 -- Eminem was sentenced to two years of probation today in Mount Clemens, Mich., after pleading guilty to a charge of carrying a concealed weapon, according to The Associated Press.

The Grammy-winning rap superstar was facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison — though prosecutor Carl Marlinga had said he was seeking six months of jail time, since Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, had no previous criminal record.

In addition to the probation, Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Antonio Viviano ordered him to undergo counseling and submit to drug testing, the AP reported.

The rapper — who had one of last year's top-selling albums with The Marshall Mathers LP — was arrested and charged in June following an incident outside a nightclub in Warren, Mich. Police say that Eminem saw John Guerra kissing his wife, Kim, and that the rapper struck Guerra with a pistol.

Eminem pleaded guilty to the weapon charge in February in an agreement with prosecutors, who dropped a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. Eminem's lawyer said he would take back his guilty plea if he were given jail time today.

The rapper also faces charges for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon and brandishing a firearm in public during a June 3 incident in Oakland County, Mich. A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 23.

Kim — who is the subject of violent fantasies in several of her husband's songs — filed for a divorce in March (after Eminem had filed for one in the fall, before the couple reconciled in December). The two reached a temporary divorce agreement later that month.