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Lawyer: ex-wife of Michael Jackson deciding whether to seek custody

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-03 09:04

A memorial is seen as people wait in line to enter the Michael Jackson public memorial at Apollo Theater in New York June 30, 2009. The Apollo will welcome fans 600 at a time to to enter the theater to pay their respects, hear Jackson's music spun by New York DJs and see a a video tribute to the late pop star. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – Deborah Rowe, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson and the mother of two of his children, has not reached a final decision on whether to seek custody of the children, a lawyer said Thursday.

Attorney Eric M. George made the disclosure on a telephone conference call but declined to take questions.

"The truth is that Debbie has not reach a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings," he said. "When Debbie does take a position in the public forum of the court, those positions will of course be conveyed to all interested persons."

Earlier in the day, Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff rescheduled a guardianship hearing for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, who has temporary guardianship of her son's three children.

The legal documents filed in connection with the request were not accompanied by any petition for custody by Rowe.

Earlier, KNBC in Los Angeles reported that Rowe intends to seek custody of Jackson's two oldest children and will seek a restraining order to keep Jackson's father Joe away from the children.

Rowe is the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The mother of the singer's youngest child, son Prince Michael II, 7, has never been revealed.

Another hearing will proceed as planned Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate.

Jackson's memorial service will be held Tuesday at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles — if that's what his mother wants.

Randy Phillips, chief executive for AEG Live, which owns Staples and was Jackson's promoter, said he met Thursday with Jackson's brother Randy.

Phillips was hopeful Katherine Jackson would make her decision later in the day. AEG already has been discussing logistics with city officials, he said.

A Jackson memorial would attract tens of thousands. AEG planned to issue tickets to Staples and provide a simulcast on big screens outside the arena, Phillips said.

Entry to Staples would be free, but Phillips was not sure yet how tickets would be distributed.

The discussions were held as the federal Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation into Jackson's death, and Jermaine Jackson said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports showed his younger brother abused prescription drugs.

"In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to," Jermaine Jackson said in an interview on NBC TV's "Today" show.

The circumstances surrounding Jackson's death last week have become a federal issue, with the DEA asked to help police take a look at the pop star's doctors and possible drug use. Allegations have emerged that the 50-year-old entertainer had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.

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