Jackson Kids' Mom Reaches Out to Family

By Jason Kaufman Posted Jun 30th 2009 08:26AM

Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two oldest children -- Prince Michael I and Paris Michael -- has been trying to get in touch with the late singer's family.

"We've been trying to reach them at different numbers. But we don't know if who we've been leaving messages with have gotten the messages," Marc Schaffel, a business associate of the family who is friends with Rowe, tells PEOPLE.

"In all fairness I wouldn't say they are avoiding her," Schaffel says. "Our understanding, though, is that the Jackson family does want to have contact with Debbie."

As for Rowe's reasons for trying to contact them? Schaffel explains that there are "several reasons" including "to offer her input into a venue where they could have a public memorial.

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"Debbie was absolutely devastated by Michael's death. They had an incredible bond and friendship even prior to the marriage... Debbie was a very good friend to Michael during all those years," he adds.

According to law, Rowe could get custody of the two children, since she is their biological mother. However, Katherine Jackson -- Michael's mother -- has petitioned in court to be the legal guardian and was granted temporary custody.

In papers filed in court, Katherine claims that the kids "have no relationship with their biological mother" and "have a long established relationship" with their grandmother.

Jackson's youngest child, Prince Michael II, was born to an unknown surrogate.

A Michael Jackson Retrospective

Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. According to reports, he has died at the age of 50. A Retrospective of His Life

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Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson began his life as a child sensation who blossomed into one of the greatest pop stars of all time.

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He was the lead singer for the very popular Jackson 5 that included the his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon. He then morphed into a highly successful recording artist, making his first solo album in 1972.

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Jackson appears in the 1982 music video for 'Thriller,' one of the best-selling albums of all time with at least 27 million copies sold worldwide.

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Over the course of his storied career, Jackson won 13 Grammy awards -- eight of them for 'Thriller' alone.

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His stage presence captured the hearts of millions -- including his signature "moonwalk" dance which he unveiled in 1983 while performing 'Billie Jean.' At 50 years old, he was attempting to make a comeback with several dates scheduled in London.

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Jackson's successes were also marred by personal strife and controversy. In later years, the singer was twice accused of molesting children. In the first, he settled out of court with the accuser, and in the second he was found not guilty.

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Jackson is seen being escorted into court in January of 2004 -- the second time he was charged with child molestation. The first, in 1993, resulted in a settlement reported to be worth about $23 million.

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Jackson is shown here in his 2003 mug shot where he was booked on child molestation charges. The singer was later acquitted.

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The 'Dangerous' star caused a stir when he held his youngest child, Prince Michael II, over the balcony of his Berlin hotel in 2002. His son was later dubbed 'Blanket' due to this incident.

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