Celebrity News
Debbie Rowe Takes $4-million Custody Battle Payoff?
In perhaps another sick example of how Michael Jackson’s death has been used as a payday for those left behind, surrogate mom, Debbie Rowe is now believed to have given up her parental rights to Michael’s first two children — again — and scored another $4-million.
The Jackson family is said to be grossed out by the payout, but regard it as ‘a necessary evil.’Â “They felt it was a ransom. She jumped back into the picture because she wanted more money,” said a family friend.
Rowe, 50, who married Michael at the Sheraton Hotel in Sydney in 1996, gave birth to Prince Michael and Paris. She then gave Jackson full custody – in return for $4-million and $900,000 a year for five years – when the couple divorced in 1999. But she resurfaced again during Michael’s child abuse trial in 2001, only giving up her self-serving attempt to reclaim the two children after scoring another $4-million and a $900,000 home.
This time, the plan is to pay her off with yet another $4-million, and the gravy train would then be retired. “This would be it.” says the source. “This takes away any rights she has to challenge custody. If something happens to Katherine, she can’t challenge the next guardian, whoever it is.”
We reported yesterday that Rowe and Katherine Jackson had agreed to prevent Joe, Michael’s father, from having any role in the three children’s future, but this latest agreement contains no such language.
Meantime, even Michael’s own brothers are riding the Debbie Express — At the time of his death, the five other Jacksons were shooting an A&E pilot for a reality show about a reunion tour. Having first agreed to a fee of $250k for the work, they now want to add footage of Michael’s funeral – for which they want a new paycheck of around $15-million.
So far, there’s no confirmation on either case – Neither lawyers for Rowe nor Katherine Jackson will confirm their arrangement, and his brothers are hopefully to sickened by greed to be able to speak.
Update: An attorney for Rowe told Access Hollywood that the New York Post story is “completely false.”
