Michael Jackson’s Mom Gets Temporary Custody of His Children
Updated: Legal experts say Michael Jackson’s ex-wife has a strong legal claim to custody of his two oldest children, but that isn’t stopping the pop star’s mother from waging a court battle.
Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine, is taking care of the three children after the star’s death, and won temporary guardianship today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Court papers filed in Los Angeles superior court say Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of the two oldest children, does not have a relationship with the kids and granting her custody would be detrimental.
Rowe is the mother of Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11, the Los Angeles Times reported in an earlier story. Rowe, a former nurse for Jackson’s dermatologist, had signed a contract waiving legal rights to the children but challenged the document after he was charged with child molestation. Rowe later settled the case; the terms are confidential.
Law professor Grace Ganz Blumberg told the Los Angeles Times that California law allows parents to give up cusotodial but not parental rights. “And if one parent is dead, the other parent is entitled to custody of the child.” she said. However, California judges will also consider whether the children have bonded with others, said Loyola law professor Charlotte Goldberg in an interview with the Associated Press.
“It’s really a balance between continuity and stability and a biological relationship,” Goldberg said.
Jackson’s youngest child, Prince Michael II, 7, was born to a surrogate mother reportedly living in Europe. She would be unlikely to obtain custody if she signed a contract with Jackson while in California providing that the state’s law applies, lawyers told the Los Angeles Times.
Updated at 12:25 CT to include the news that Katherine Jackson has won temporary custody of the children.
