It’s been reported that battlelines are already being drawn for a fight over custody of Michael Jackson’s children and his estate. And this is happening just two days after his death.
Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe who is the mother of the two oldest children – Michael Joseph, 12 and Paris, 11 – is reportedly considering claiming custody of the children. If she succeeds, she’ll probably receive a good chunk of Jackson’s estate as child support.
However, Jackson’s family says that his mother Katherine has been named the sole legal guardian of the children in Jackson’s will. All three children are currently with Katherine Jackson.
And in the meantime, Jackson’s youngest child – Prince Michael, 7 – was born using a surrogate mother whose identity has never been revealed. Legal steps to prevent her taking custody of that child are likely to have been taken, but it is still possible that she could launch a custody battle.
A fight is also looming over the division of Jackson’s estate. Although it’s said that he died owing USD400 million, it is also believed now that the singer may have died with millions of dollars locked away.