Debbie Rowe Denies Custody Deal
July 15, 2009 by Amber
Filed under Celebrity, Michael Jackson, News
The great custody battle between Jackson matriarch Katherine J and her onetime daughter-in-law is still very much alive, with Debbie Rowe revealing she is continuing her bid for parental rights, and has no intention of ever selling her children.
It was reported yesterday that the former dental nurse had relinquished her parental rights to the two elder Jackson kids in exchange for a lump sum payout of around $4 million – a near identical amount to the cash payment Rowe received for handing over her custodial claims in 2005 during the King of Pop’s very public child molestation trial.
However, Rowe has denied that any monetary settlement has taken place, and insists that the custody hearing scheduled for July 20 is still very much on.
Rowe’s lawyer, Eric George, has sent an open letter to the press, demanding an “immediate retraction” for the falsities that were published globally on his client’s apparent sell-out.
“There has been no agreement reached between Ms. Rowe and the Jacksons,” the letter states. “Ms. Rowe has not and will not give up her parental rights. No determination has been reached concerning custody or visitation. And Ms. Rowe has not accepted and will not accept any additional financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and Michael personally agreed to several years ago.”
No comment has been made by the Jackson camp in regards to this latest statement from Debbie Rowe and her lawyers, which makes it all the more likely that the Jacksons put the offer on the table, and the former wife of the Thriller singer declined it.
[Source]
Debbie Rowe Sells Kids… Again
July 14, 2009 by Amber
Filed under Celebrity, Michael Jackson, News
Debbie Rowe, the former wife of the late Michael Jackson, has reportedly sold her children for a third time, reliquishing her custody rights to Jackson’s mother, Katherine, for a cool $4 million.
“It’s one final payday,” said a source close to the family.
The Jackson family “isn’t happy” about the large exchange of cash, according to reports, but they were willing to go through with it because they consider it to be a “necessary evil”.
A pal explained: “[The Jacksons] felt it was like a ransom-type thing. [Rowe] jumped back into the picture because she wanted money.”
Before Jackson’s June 25 death, Rowe – a former dental nurse – had previously given up all parental rights to her two biological children, Prince Michael I and Paris Michael Katherine, in exchange for a lump sum of $8 million plus $900,000 annually for the first five years.
However, when Jackson was accused of child molestation in 2001, Rowe attempted to regain custody of her children, threatening to drag the matter through the courts and further tarnish the King of Pop’s name. That never happened, and Rowe walked away – for the second time – with another $4 million in cash and a $900,000 home.
This time – the third time Rowe has threatened to reinstate her parental rights over the Jackson children – the onetime wife of the pop star has said she is “forfeiting her restored parental rights” to Katherine Jackson in exchange for another near $4 million sum.
“This would be it,” the source said. “This takes away any rights she has to challenge custody at any given time.
“If something happens to Katherine, [Rowe] can’t challenge the next [guardian], whether that be Diana Ross or someone in the family.”
Reps for neither Rowe or the Jackson family were available for comment at the time of this article.
[Source]
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]
