Debbie Rowe, the former wife of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, has made a rare public appearance, prompting renewed interest in her life and the enduring rumours surrounding the paternity of Jackson's three children.
A Life Away from the Spotlight
The 67-year-old former nurse, who has largely avoided public attention since her divorce from Jackson over two decades ago, was seen in April last year looking markedly different. This sighting came nine years after she successfully battled breast cancer, a diagnosis she received in 2016. Rowe was married to Jackson from 1996 to 2000 after meeting while she worked as an assistant to his dermatologist, Dr Arnold Klein.
Rowe is the mother of Jackson's two eldest children: Prince, 28, and Paris, 27. The singer's third child, Bigi (formerly known as Blanket), 23, was born via a surrogate in 2002, and his mother's identity has never been disclosed. Despite Rowe's past statements that Jackson impregnated her artificially with his own sperm, speculation has persisted for years that the King of Pop may not be the biological father of any of the three.
Complex Family Dynamics and Reconciliation
The family relationships within the Jackson circle have been complex. Following the divorce, Jackson retained full custody of Prince and Paris. Paris Jackson has previously described her relationship with her mother as being "more of a friend," a bond they rebuilt when Paris was a teenager after a period of estrangement.
This reconciliation was significantly aided by Rowe's breast cancer diagnosis in 2016. Paris proved to be a steadfast support during her mother's treatment, which concluded with her last chemotherapy session in 2017. Paris later reflected on their now "very chill" relationship, noting their similarities and even sharing her music with Rowe, who enjoys country and folk.
New Paternity Claims and Past Controversies
Recently, long-standing paternity rumours have gained fresh traction. New reports suggest that friends of the Jackson family believe the sperm used to conceive Bigi may have come from the late actor Marlon Brando, a close friend of Michael Jackson. A source indicated that this development has caused a stir within the wider Jackson estate, with Paris and Prince being informed.
These claims add to decades of speculation fuelled by the children's physical appearance. Despite Jackson's infamous 2003 interview with Martin Bashir where he insisted, "They are all my children," geneticists have often commented on the low probability of two biological parents with Jackson and Rowe's genetics producing children with such fair features.
In 2022, Rowe re-emerged briefly in a TMZ documentary, "Who Really Killed Michael Jackson," where she emotionally confessed to feeling partly responsible for his 2009 death from a drug-induced cardiac arrest. She expressed regret for not intervening more during his struggles with painkiller addiction. Her comments reportedly surprised some members of the Jackson family, with whom she has had limited contact since the singer's passing.
As Debbie Rowe continues to live a private life, her rare appearances and the unresolved questions about the Jackson children's origins ensure her story remains a compelling, if elusive, chapter in the enduring legacy of Michael Jackson.
