A Near-Deal on Custody of Michael’s Children

Yesterday, Matt Lauer spoke on the Today Show with Michael’s mother’s lawyer, Katherine Jackson’s attorney, Londell McMillan.

McMillan said that before the court’s scheduled date for custody proceedings regarding Michael’s children, Debbie Rowe and Katherine, Michael’s mother, would reach an agreement about the children’s guardianship. He said this agreement would not be based on money or financial interests. He said that the parties who claimed rights to the custody of Prince, Paris, and Blanket had met with one another, and that all of them had been very responsible, very thoughtful, very compassionate, and very cautious. He said they would soon announce the agreement in a statement.

Speaking very carefully, McMillan said he believes that Katherine Jackson will ultimately gain custody of the children. “What’s best for the kids is the same thing Michael wanted, and what he wanted was for Mrs. Jackson (Katherine, his mother) to have custody of his children.”

Earlier, the media had said that Debbie Rowe had given custody of the children to Michael in exchange for a sum of money several years ago, and had relinquished all of her maternal rights. Rowe issued a statement saying this news is completely false and that she never gave up her right as a mother for money.

In this interview, McMillan noted that in Michael’s will, it was not stated that Debbie could not have maternal rights to his children.

McMillan was not part of Michael’s team when the will was written in 2002, but over the past four years he has had a close relationship with Michael and Katherine Jackson. He says Michael’s first concern during this time was the future of his children. McMillan says that during this period, Michael involved his mother Katherine in the personal and professional decisions he made.

“Mrs. Jackson wasn’t just a loving and passive mother. She was in constant contact with Michael. Michael trusted her a great deal. She supported Michael and was his only trustee.”

McMillan said that regarding Katherine’s request to take a role in managing Michael’s real estate and assets, it is Katherine’s right to have such a role.

“We believe she was the most trustworthy person in the world to Michael, and she is the most suitable person to oversee Michael’s assets.”

“When I first met Michael, from the very beginning he told me to do everything I could to take care of my children and my mother. And that’s what we will do.”

McMillan also commented on rumors about the existence of a fourth child of Michael, saying he cannot speak on the matter.

Some time ago, the English-language newspaper Sun had spread a rumor that a 25-year-old man named Omar Bhatti—who had been sitting in the front row next to Michael’s family at the July 7 memorial—was Michael’s son. The newspaper said Omar had requested DNA testing to prove his identity. Omar denied these rumors and said he has no family relation to the Jackson family. Michael met this boy, who was 12 at the time, in 1996 during his History Tour in Tunisia along with his family, and then invited him and his family to come to Neverland. In 1997, after the birth of Prince, the mother of this family began working at Neverland as a babysitter, and Omar’s father became Michael’s driver. Michael was in the habit of telling everyone that he considers Omar his son.

Source: eMJey / MSNBC