An attorney for Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe on Tuesday angrily denied reports that she had agreed to take millions of dollars to give up parental rights to her two children with the King of Pop.
In a letter to the New York Post, attorney Eric George said that Rowe, who was married to Michael Jackson from 1996 to 1999 and is the mother of his two oldest children, "has not and will not" give up her parental rights.
Nor will Rowe, whose attorneys have been in talks with lawyers for Michael Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, take any money beyond the spousal support to which she and the singer agreed upon years ago, George's letter states.
In a 2002 will signed by Michael Jackson, he said he had "intentionally omitted" to provide for Rowe.
The New York Post reported on Tuesday that Rowe had agreed to take about $4 million to give up her parental rights to children Prince Michael Jr, 12, and Paris, 11.
George has asked the newspaper to publish a retraction.
In a statement, New York Post editor in chief Col Allan said, "The Post stands by its story."
Katherine Jackson, 79, was granted temporary guardianship of her son's three children on June 29, only days after the "Thriller" singer died.
George's letter states that no agreement has been reached between Rowe and the Jacksons on custody or visitation.
Jackson, who died on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion, was the father of a third child named Prince Michael II, 7, but the boy's surrogate mother has never been identified.
Rowe in 2001 sought to give up parental rights to her children, but she later went to court to contest her waiver of those rights and it never went into effect.
A custody hearing on Jackson's three children is set for this coming Monday.
Also on Tuesday, an official from the LA Coroner's office, which is one of several law enforcement agencies investigating Jackson's death, visited the office of Dr. Arnold Klein, the singer's dermatologist, to obtain medical records.
Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the LA Coroner, said results of an autopsy on Jackson will not be released this week or next, as final work is being completed on the case.
(Reuters July 15, 2009)
