Jackson's ex wants the kids
2009-07-02 20:34
Los Angeles - The ex-wife of Michael Jackson said in an interview on Thursday she plans to fight for custody of the two children she had with the tragic pop icon.
"I want my children," Debbie Rowe said in a 90-minute interview with NBC television's local network in Los Angeles.
The station reported on its website that Rowe had said she was willing to submit to any testing, including DNA, to prove she was the biological mother of Prince Michael, 12 and Paris, 11.
Rowe, who was married to Jackson for three years from 1996, also said she was willing to undergo psychological testing in any custody claim.
NBCLA said Rowe would also seek a restraining order to keep Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, away from the children.
Rowe has been largely silent since the sudden death of Jackson, 50, on June 25 from an apparent cardiac arrest.
On Monday, a Los Angeles court named the star's 79-year-old mother Katherine Jackson as the temporary guardian of Prince Michael, Paris and younger brother Prince Michael II, who was born to a secret surrogate.
A 2002 will filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday revealed that Jackson wanted his mother to gain custody of his children in the event of his death, with soul legend Diana Ross named as a back-up guardian.
- AFP