Chinyere Okoye With Agency Report
29 June 2009
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The person also said that the children are still in the care of the extended Jackson family for the moment.
Jackson left behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. The elder children were born to Rowe, while the youngest is his biological son, born to a surrogate mother.
Prince Michael II's mother has never been identified, and while she may surface, it is likely that she signed away her rights, said Stacy Phillips, a Los Angeles divorce attorney who has represented numerous high-profile clients.
Jackson was by several accounts an attentive and loving father.
"He was a great father," said Raymone Bain, Jackson's former publicist and general manager. "Those kids knew three and four languages. Even the little one. They were well mannered and sweet. I can't imagine these children without him."
He was extremely protective of his children, who weren't often seen in public, and were photographed wearing veils, masks or other items covering their faces when they were.
Rowe, a former nurse for Jackson's dermatologist, married Jackson in 1996 but filed for divorce in 1999. She later gave up her custody rights to the children, but petitioned to have those rights restored in 2003 after Jackson was arrested on child molestation charges, and an appeals court sided with her.
Jackson and Rowe apparently agreed in 2006 regarding her rights, but the terms have never been disclosed. The couple's divorce case that was heard in Los Angeles Superior Court remains closed.
Phillips said if her parental rights remain intact, she's presumed to be first in line to receive custody of her two children. "That could still be contested," she added.
Rowe would have to undergo an evaluation by the court to determine if she's the best person to care for Jackson's children. So, too, would anyone else who applies to become the children's guardian - some of whom may have Jackson's blessing.
"If he did indicate a preference, that will be given great weight, but that will not be determinative," said Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. "Children are not property, they cannot be willed to another person."
Allred agreed that Rowe has better legal standing than others who apply for custody of Jackson's eldest children. "She's definitely going to have an advantage."
But judges in California often take into account who is left in the children's lives with a strong bond, said Charlotte Goldberg, a family law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
"It's really a balance between continuity and stability and a biological relationship," Goldberg said.
A judge deciding the matter may even seek input in chambers from Jackson's children about who they feel comfortable with, she said.
But a court will also take into account with whom the children have a relationship bond, and that may not work in Rowe's favour. She wrote in a 2001 petition to sever her parental rights that she thought Jackson was doing a good parenting job.
"Michael has been a wonderful father to the children, and I do not wish to share any parenting responsibilities with Michael because he is doing so well without me," Rowe wrote. She also indicated in court filings during the 2006 custody struggle that she had not seen the children since 2005, shortly after his trial ended in acquittal on all charges and Jackson moved the children overseas.
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Nigerians still mourn the world greatest.All radio stations are still on for the king of pop.May his soul rest in peace.
There will NEVER be another Michael Jackson - NEVER. What the people of Africa and the rest of the World now need to do is to pray for his lovely sould to rest in Peace forever. This Beautiful Brother Soul should always be remember in a best possible ways. We all in this world have made mistakes; and some have made worst mistakes than others. What the world need to remember is that: this brother gave out all his best, provided and did more good than most people in higher positions. Therefore, let remember him for his hard work, his loyal to the suffering of many people, his sincerity; but most of all, the beauty in him. He is/ was/ and always a beautiful soul. Michael, Your soul will continue to rest in peace and the world will NEVER forget your greatness, and of who you are. May the Lord bless your soul as you left us all in tears wondering why you left so early.
There will NEVER be another Michael Jackson - NEVER. What the people of Africa and the rest of the World now need to do is to pray for his lovely sould to rest in Peace forever. This Beautiful Brother Soul should always be remember in a best possible ways. We all in this world have made mistakes; and some have made worst mistakes than others. What the world need to remember is that: this brother gave out all his best, provided and did more good than most people in higher positions. Therefore, let remember him for his hard work, his loyal to the suffering of many people, his sincerity; but most of all, the beauty in him. He is/ was/ and always a beautiful soul. Michael, Your soul will continue to rest in peace and the world will NEVER forget your greatness, and of who you are. May the Lord bless your soul as you left us all in tears wondering why you left so early.
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