Debbie Rowe Wants Custody of Jackson’s Children
July 2, 2009 by Amber
Filed under Celebrity, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s former wife Debbie Rowe has reportedly decided to fight for custody of her two children, Prince Michael Jr. and Paris, whom she carried for the popstar in exchange for a large sum of money.
“I want my children,” Ms Rowe said. “I am stepping up… I have to.”
The reason Rowe has chosen to take the battle to court has to do with Jackson’s appointed guardians for the children – his mother Katherine Jackson, soon to be 80, and close friend Diana Ross, who the children have never met. Rowe is also concerned at the level of Joe Jackson’s involvement in the children’s lives, after the King of Pop accused his father of abuse years ago.
However, there’s a lot of obstacles for the nurse and onetime wife of the pop superstar to overcome, not the least of which is the rumours that she’s not the biological mother of the two eldest Jackson children. Rowe has said that she is willing to submit to any testing, including DNA, to prove that she is their biological mother.
Another of the many obstacles includes Rowe’s 2001 petition to give up her parental rights over the children, in exchange for a house and millions of dollars in cash. Rowe later “reversed her decision” and secured herself visitation rights, but legal experts say this could severly hinder any chance she may or may not have to win custody.
“If she has a strong relationship with her children and… she has seen them somewhat regularly then she has a very strong chance of getting custody,” said Scott Altman, a law professor at the University of Southern California.
“But if… she hardly has visited with her children, they have no relationship at all, they don’t think of her as a mother it will be very difficult for her to get custody.”
Rowe’s lawyers will attend a court hearing on Monday to dispute issues surrounding the Jackson children and his deceased estate, a restraining order against Joe Jackson believed to be among the issues.
Of course, if Rowe does win the suit and gains custody of her children, she will also gain at least partial control of the late popstar’s estate, part of which has been left for his children. The money she would receive for their care is no doubt yet another reason – if not the main reason – Rowe is pushing for custody after all.
[Source]
Paternity of Jackson Children Still Uncertain
June 30, 2009 by Amber
Filed under Celebrity, Michael Jackson
Earlier in the week, Debbie Rowe broke the news that Michael Jackson wasn’t the biological father of his three children, Michael Jr., Paris, and Prince Michael II. While the Jackson clan have denied the claims, it appears they aren’t as false as first thought; however, Rowe – who says Jackson paid her to have his children – isn’t the biological mother of the two eldest Jacksons, either.
According to “multiple sources” connected to the births of the Jackson children, all three children were conceived in vitro – outside of the womb, courtesy of anonymous donors. The sources say that Michael did not donate his sperm for any of his children, and Rowe, who was until now believed to be the mother of Michael Jr. and Paris, was nothing more than a surrogate carrying another woman’s eggs.
As for the third Jackson child – Prince Michael II, aka ‘Blanket’ – it is not known who his real parents are. The surrogate, it is believed, was never told of the identity of the “receiving parent,” and so didn’t know she was carrying a baby for pop superstar Michael Jackson.
What this news will do for the coming custody battles, no one knows. We’re told this type of case has never been litigated in California courts before, so it’s anyone’s game, basically. Rowe has said that she has no intention of challenging the Jackson’s for the right to raise her children, but with the children’s inheritence on the tables – quite a significant amount of money – there’s no telling whether or not the onetime wife of the Thriller singer will change her mind before the matter has been settled.
[Source]
Jackson’s Children Want to Stay With Grandma
June 28, 2009 by Amber
Filed under Celebrity, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s three children – Michael Joseph Jr. (12), Paris Michael Katherine (11) and Prince ‘Blanket’ Michael II (7) – say they want to stay with their grandparents, and most specifically their grandmother, according to sources close to the Jackson family.
The source added that the now fatherless children will continue to live with grandmother Katherine Jackson at her Encino home while the family grieves for the loss of 50-year-old Michael. The family – who are expected to fight for custody of the children, should a court battle ensue – are “100 per cent behind this,” and feel that they are the “only people” who can help the children understand the person their father was and teach them how to deal with the scrutiny of the press.
The children are “healthy,” the source said, but “miss their daddy.”
Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of the two eldest Jackson children, has never had a relationship with them, but is expected to serve the Jackson family with a custody suit all the same. Rowe gave up sole custody of the children to her ex-husband for an annual payment of $750,000, though she has given every indication that she will fight the Jacksons for custody of Michael Joseph Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine.
The source stated that the wish of the children to remain in the care of their grandparents will be “crucial” in any custody battle with their biological mother.
[Source]
