Michael Jackson Rushed to Hospital 3 |
Michael Jackson's ex-wife will be awarded custody of her two children with the pop superstar, after it emerged that she never gave up her rights as a parent.
The King of Pop passed away on Thursday at the UCLA Medical Center in California after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The 50-year-old is survived by his kids with former nurse Debbie Rowe -- Michael Joseph Jackson. Jr, who he later dubbed Prince, 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11 -- as well as Michael Jackson II, known as Blanket, 7, who was delivered by an unknown surrogate mother.
The Jackson family lawyer, Brian Oxman, initially suggested that Jackson's mother Katherine would gain custody of her three grandchildren, because it was widely believed that Rowe had given up her rights to the elder kids following their divorce in 1999.
But TMZ.com has revealed that Rowe is still legally considered Prince and Paris' guardian, because Judge Stephen Lachs, who oversaw a 2005 custody battle, had actually overturned his initial decision.
The Web site claims the lawyer who represented Jackson throughout the case, Lance Spiegel, has confirmed the news, admitting that the only reason Rowe would not be given custody was if she was found to be "detrimental to the children."
She has remained in hiding since news of Jackson's untimely death broke, although local police have had to provide protection by blocking off her Palmdale, California, ranch to stop paparazzi from intruding on her property.
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