Jackson’s ex-wife shows interest in custody of children

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The future of Michael Jackson’s children was thrown into question Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to rear her two offspring.

It was the first legal move from Deborah Rowe since the entertainer’s death. Jackson’s will asks for his mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of all three of his children.

Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterized their relationship as strictly for the purpose of birthing Jackson children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child was conceived with a surrogate.

She has spent very little time with her son, Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson’s getting custody of her children when it came up in the past.

Rowe’s attorney, Eric M. George, said Thursday she had not decided whether to seek custody.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff rescheduled a guardianship hearing for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, 79, who has temporary guardianship of her son’s children.

The identity of the surrogate mother of the singer’s youngest child, 7-year-old son Prince Michael II, has never been revealed.

Jackson’s public memorial was set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family’s publicist.

Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson’s promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed.

But Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said the Jackson family should consider delaying the public memorial to allow more time to plan. A week after the singer’s death, the location for a memorial has not been finalized, and the cash-strapped city doesn’t have the money to pay police overtime.

“If you can imagine 100,000 people show up, and you have 20,000 capacity [at the Staples Center], there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem,” he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend, “it’s the worst time ... to work something out.”

Another court hearing will proceed as planned Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson’s estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust.

The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.