Rumors about Michael Jackson’s children first began months before they were even born. The following details the origin of rumors about the pop legends children. These are rumors that are still falsely reported. The first two children named Prince and Paris, where born during Jackson’s second marriage to his ex-wife Debbie Rowe.
November 14, 1996, 6:00 p.m. EST “Jackson disclosed November 4 that Rowe was carrying his child. He denied tabloid reports that Rowe had been artificially inseminated and was paid $528,000 to carry the baby…’I am thrilled that I will soon be a father…. This is my dream come true, ‘Jackson said in a statement at the time.” - CNN
Nov. 15th, 1996, “He (Michael Jackson) denied reports that Rowe had been artificially inseminated..” - Chicago Tribune
Dec. 3rd, 1996, “Reports — denied by the Jackson camp — of artificial insemination…She (Debbie Rowe) also told neighbors she was not artificially inseminated. She said it was natural.” - People Magazine
So where did this story come from? Who was making up rumors about Michael Jackson’s children before they were even born?
Feb. 13th, 1997, “Jackson and his new wife have denied a tabloid report by London’s News of the World that they conceived the child through artificial insemination and that Mrs. Jackson was paid $528,000 to carry the baby.” -CNN
By KAREN S. SCHNEIDER Posted on November 18, 1996 12:00PM
“IT WAS, PERHAPS, A TAD MORE THAN we needed to know — but you can’t blame Michael Jackson, 38, for wanting to set the record straight. When a British tabloid reported that the King of Pop had impregnated Debbie Rowe, an assistant to his Beverly Hills dermatologist, it apparently botched at least one key detail. ‘Reports speculating that Ms. Rowe was artificially inseminated,’ read a press release Jackson issued shortly after the news broke, ‘are completely false and irresponsible.’ Jackson and Rowe, it would seem, made their baby — due early next year — the old-fashioned way. The singer, touring in the Far East last week, note that he was ‘thrilled’ by the development. ‘This is,’ he said, ‘my dream come true.’ - People Magazine
The first rumors about Michael Jackson’s children came from British tabloid News of the World. Every news outlet who reported the story at the time names this tabloid as their source. However, after Jackson died, this same publication planted another story in the media about the pop legends children.
June 2009
“I (Debbie Rowe)I was just the vessel. It wasn’t Michael’s sperm. Just like I stick the sperm up my horse, this is what they did to me. I was his thoroughbred” - News of the world
“A new confirmation has just been made by Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe who tells Britain’s News of the World that Prince Michael Jackson Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson actually aren’t the late singer’s biological children. Speaking exclusively from her home in California, she says she carried both kids after being artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor. Rowe, who was speaking to Britain’s News of the World…” ‘I know I will never see them again’, “she said”. ‘I don’t want these children in my life’. - WordPress
Debbie Rowe’s Attorney Responds to the story
June 30, 2009
On Sunday, June 28, Britain’s News of the World ran an excerpt of what it claimed as an exclusive interview with Debbie from her home in California. An attorney for Debbie Rowe, the ex-wife of late singer Michael Jackson, denies earlier reports claiming Debbie has publicly stated that Michael isn’t the biological father of two of his children, Prince Michael Jackson Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Rowe’s attorney, Marta Almli said, “The interview did not occur. The article is a complete fabrication,”. - Aceshowbiz
In 2011, News of the World shut down after an illegal phone hacking scandal. The fraudulent newspaper was the admitted source for stories about Jackson’s ex-wife being artificially inseminated. Moreover, the timing shows the opportunistic pattern of this particular rumor. This tabloid publication first reported the story in 1996, when it was announced that Rowe was pregnant with the couple’s first child. They repeated the artificial insemination rumor in July of 2009, only days after the pop legend died. But that time, they attributed it to an interview with Rowe. That alleged interview never occurred. The interview, and the lies within were proven false in court.
However, cut from the same cloth as News of the World, British tabloids continue to report the fake Debbie Rowe interview. And even in 2020, they still name debunked and disgraced News of the World as their source.
“I went to the ‘office’, which is what we called the medical clinic,” she told the News of the World….Just like I stick the sperm up my horse, this is what they did to me. I was his thoroughbred.” - The Mirror (2020)
Arnold Klein
In July of 2009, the media’s exploitation of Michael’s children went into high gear. The “King of pop” died one month earlier. Media outlets were cashing in on the 24 hour news cycle surrounding the pop legends recent death (Homicide). They began reporting that Jackson’s long time dermatologist Arnold Klein was the father of the two oldest children Prince and Paris. But this story was based on absolutely nothing. Because Klein himself never claimed to be the father of Michael’s children. On CNN, when asked he said, “I am not the father”. In addition, Klein said he believes Michael and Debbie “Did have sex”.
Larry king: “You donated sperm to him (Michael Jackson)?
Arnold Klein: “No, absolutely not”
Mark Lester
Two weeks after the King of Pop died, former actor Mark Lester decided he would also cash in on Michael’s children. On July 6, 2009, Lester sold a story to Hello Magazine. In the story, he claimed to be the father of Michael’s daughter Paris. Mark Lester’s former wife responded by telling the media her ex lied about being Paris’ father.
Jane Lester said Mark is “completely nuts”, and she explained that Mark lied because talking about Michael Jackson is the only way he can get the media to pay any attention to him. In 2013, Mark Lester sold another story to British tabloid the Mirror. But this time, Lester claimed to be the father of all three of Michael’s children.
The King of pop died on June 25, 2009. His sudden death came as a shock. It was a huge news story that was felt around the world. The news coverage went on for weeks. Arnold Klein, Mark Lester and News of the World’s false story about Debbie Rowe were all reported in late June and early July of 2009. The timing shows this was not a coincidence. With their father no longer around to protect them, all three children were suddenly more vulnerable to media exploitation and individuals who were willing to sell stories about them.
Adoption
Michael Jackson is named as the father on all three of his children’s birth certificates. So legally, they were always his children. By definition, adoption would mean that someone else was the parent and Jackson gained parental rights through a process. We can know for a fact that never happened. Also, Jackson was in the delivery room with his wife when their children were born. By all accounts the moonwalker was always with his children. Even after Jackson and his wife split, he raised them as a single parent. Again, the adoption rumor never had any foundation, because legally, they were always his children.
Blanket Jackson
Prince Michael Jackson II is the third and youngest child of the late pop legend. The Public mostly knows him as “Blanket”. However, in 2015, he changed his name to Bigi Jackson. Bigi is not from the singer’s marriage to Debbie Rowe. Little is known about known about his mother, but Michael once described his mother as a “Hispanic” woman.
Interview from 2003:
Martin Bashir: “So I take it Blankets mother is white.”
Michael Jackson: No she’s not, she’s Hispanic.”
Castration
It is unfortunate this rumor even has to be addressed. But in every discussion about the pop legends children, someone will claim he was not physically capable of fathering children.
There are different versions of the story. One version claims Jackson’s father hit him in the testicles when he was a child. Another version claims the singer was chemically castrated so he would always have a high pitched voice. Medical facts prove these stories to be false.
Dr. Christopher Rogers is the coroner who performed the autopsy. In his report, Dr. Rogers included information that specifically addressed this rumor. The autopsy report said, “He (Michael Jackson) was actively producing sperm”.
Vitiligo
In 1992, The “Bad” singer told the world about his skin condition vitiligo. His autopsy also confirmed that he did have this condition. Vitiligo causes the skin to appear porcelain white due to a complete loss of pigment. According to Pfizer, “vitiligo is a rare skin condition that affects 1% of the world’s population”.
Moreover, vitiligo is generally genetic. Meaning it is usually passed from a parent or grandparent. The oldest child Prince has vitiligo. Therefore, beyond anyone’s opinion, the medical facts point to Michael being the father.
Skin Tone
All three children have a skin tone that is consistent with being mixed race or light skin. For years they were falsely described as being very “white” or pale.
Conclusion
“There were people following me, there were people in front of my apartment, and it’s scary. I mean, yeah they want a picture, but why? Why? I found out at one point that a picture of me pregnant was worth half a million dollars.”- Debbie Rowe
When it comes to greed and exploitation, at least one subject should remain off limits. No matter how you may feel about someone, it is not proper to attack their children. However, morals and common decency where thrown out the window to exploit Michael Jackson’s enormous fame. And unfortunately, that also applied to his children.
In 1996, the day it was announced that the King of Pop’s wife was pregnant with their first child, the first rumors began. Many ran with the story of artificial insemination. And because it was Michael Jackson, for the media, the story meant headlines and big money. But at the time Jackson and his wife said the story was false. Years later it was proven false in court.
