Flash! From Liz Smith | 07/10/2009 1:30 pm

LIZ SMITH FLASH! Old Joe Jackson Thinking Showbiz for Paris?

Memo to the Michael Jackson family. When you allow old Joe to go about talking of how he is looking at Paris for a show business career and how he is going to raise Michael’s children – isn’t this just a setup for Debbie Rowe to seize custody from Katherine Jackson?! Joe Jackson gave an interview to ABC News that is chilling in its implications – aside from his assertions that Michael was the victim of "foul play."

The one thing Michael always made clear was how his father ruined his life. I think he must be rolling in his grave wherever that may be to think that Joe Jackson will have any say-so over these three grandchildren. Let alone protecting these poor innocents from a future in show business!

85 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Nothing of what I have seen of Debbie Rowe’s response to the kids has given me any hope that she has any real interest in the kids or raising them. I really doubt that if she does appeal for custody that those kids will have any kind of real parenting or support. But I can’t believe that Katherine Jackson is physically capable of handling the kids at this stage of her life. I don’t doubt that she loves them. But kids, as she well knows, take a lot time and effort to raise happily. It’s Joe I don’t want to see within a million miles of them. He’s just out to find the next Jackson to make a big name for themselves whether they like the idea or not.

By Mary Utrup on 07/10/2009 8:10 pm

e-mail alert

Not to take up for Debbie Rowe but we don’t know what her position was before all of this happened. MJ was so secretive (rightfully so) that we don’t know if she spoke to the kids once a week or month or whatever. Katherine is more than capable of taking care of her Grandchildren and I really believe that her daughters will help her if she needs it. Those children have a very big family to help them, after all Joe and Katherine had 9 kids and those kids have kids. I just don’t want society to bog those children down with all the BS. Aside from being MJs kids, they are still people in their own right and they deserve to be respected like any other children that have lost a parent. I tell you what, this goes to show you that no matter how much money you have, children are still children.

By Nicole Kitt on 07/10/2009 8:19 pm

e-mail alert

You are absolutely right that these children need and deserve to be respected as children. Given the different levels of response Michael’s death has generated among family members, it’s anybody’s guess how this will all come out in the end. I am relatively certain I’m correct in believing Joe Jackson should be kept as far away from the situation as possible. He was already sizing up Blanket’s potential on Good Morning America this morning. The man appears to feel little or nothing about the death of his son. He just wants to know who’s next in line. What a horrible example and legacy he is leaving behind.

By Mary Utrup on 07/10/2009 10:32 pm

e-mail alert

What position could a mother possibly have when it comes to her children, accepting money and signing her rights away. A true mother do not do the sort of thing. They fight like hell for their children especially at the infancy stage, but she gladly walked away with millions. However, I think she should be given visitation rights, but not custody. Blanket is not her son and it would be wrong to separate Blanket from his big brother and sister. Katherine and Debbie must really come to an understanding about those children; though I suspect Debbie will not be happy unless she has a fingers on the money.

By A Amedee on 07/12/2009 6:19 am

e-mail alert

We still don’t really know what Debbie actually did when it comes to her children. We all have a position to play in any situation. How about the fact that we are not all cut out to me mommies and daddy’s. Every person that gives birth is not cut out to be a mother. Michael made his choice to make her the mother of his children, so what responsibility does he play in this? He offered to pay her! Debbie has stayed out of the limelight for a long time and we need to give her credit for that. The media came after her for what she had to say about the whole MJ situation. I am not saying that she is the mother of the year but we need to respect her decision about her kids. Oh and by the way we also have to realize that she had children for the most recognizable entertainer in the world and that her rights were reinstated years ago. What that means to me is that she has a right to have her children with her and to care for them if she chooses to do so. I don’t recommend seperating Blanket from his brother and sister because they were raised together in the same house with their father but, Blanket is not Debbie Rowe’s child. By the way, we don’t know how much Blankets mother was paid either and if she is going to come foward what are people going to say about her. Same situation, different person.

By Nicole Kitt on 07/12/2009 3:52 pm

e-mail alert

Why are you making Michael to be the bad person in this situation? Why should he not be entitled to pay for a child when all the others are doing the same thing? What is wrong with that? He wanted children so paid a couple of women to have his children for him. If he is evil for doing that, then all the rest of entertainers are also evil. They all have use surrogacy at some point not just Michael Jackson. He has already paid them for his children and the kids her his and his alone.

By A Amedee on 07/14/2009 6:52 am

e-mail alert

Nicole,

Joe Jackson is a self-serving opportunist. The Judge shouldissue a court order for him to be a planet away from his kids or his wife. I get the feeling that the Grandmother, Katherine, is week and can easily be manipulated. I don’t see her as being a safe place for those kids. The woman’s an enabler. I heard that a couple of her kids lived at home with her.

He isn’t in the ground yet. Still doing toxicology on his brain.

I for one won’t be celebrating Jackson in any way, shape or form. He was a drug addict of the worst sort. Since most don’t condone athletes using drugs or taking steroids, why would anyone simply forget that part of Jackson’s life and remember his for his music? He doesn’t deserve the adulation.

By Andrea Brandon on 07/12/2009 10:00 pm

e-mail alert

Oh, but he does deserve the adulation because he was the greatest entertainer in this WORLD. I wonder if you felt the same way about Elvis because he was considered a drug addict as well. The difference seems to be, I hate to say it but that Michael was black and Elvis was not. I am not playing the race card but it seems to be the outlook of most. As far as Katherine is concerned it is her business whom lives in her house. Joe does not live there as he lives in Las Vegas. I also don’t think that she is an enabler. Katherines children are grown men and woman making their own money. Katherine is also the mother of Janet, Rebbie, Latoya, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, Randy and they seem to be doing okay. When will we start to see that Michael’s life was not what everybody thought it was. Michael Jackson was a human being and deserves to be respected as such.

Nikki

By Nicole Kitt on 07/12/2009 10:27 pm

e-mail alert

Get over the race card thing.

No, I didn’t think Elvis was the greatest and Jackson certainly wasn’t the greatest,

No way will Jackson ever get my respect. He was a dope addict.

The grandfather was a child abuser and is a self-centered opportunist who preyed on his own children. Any woman who would allow her kids to be subjected to that is an enabler.

By Andrea Brandon on 07/12/2009 10:37 pm

e-mail alert

Okay, can we at least agree that Elvis was a drug addict as well? Or was he above that status? I understand that you think that the race card does not play a role in it but, if you look at it for what it is, you will see it the way I see it. I don’t mean to be rude but if you have not been a black person in THIS country than you would not see it. As I stated before Katherine did and still does what she wanted to do. Where were the people back then when he was doing this to his children (Berry Gordy, Smokey, anybody). Everybody wants to ridicule MJ for whatever reason they can muster. He gave us what he had which was MUSIC. That’s it people. Nothing more, nothing less.

By Nicole Kitt on 07/12/2009 11:48 pm

e-mail alert

Of course Presley was a drug addict. Did you think I’d say he wasn’t???? Don’t presume it’s a race issue. It’s not.

I don’t know what it is you see or what you are referring to. In fact, I’m having a difficult time following you. Perhaps you can answer these questions:

1 - What is it that you see that I cannot?

2 - What is it that you are referring to when you state that Katherine does what she wants? [Of course she does what she wants. In the end we ALL do what we want.]

3 - What are you referring to when you ask "where were the people back then……"? Are you trying to say that Jackson was never abused by his father [because if he was, that Gordy, Smokey, or others would have intervened]?

4 - I am not ridiculing Jackson. He was a dopehead and that’s a fact. Nothing more and nothing less.

5 - Just because one thinks his music was the greatest does not mean the drugs should be overlooked. If we all took that stance then this country would be pathetic and our value systems would go down the toilet. But then…… that’s exactly what’s been happening, hasn’t it?

By Andrea Brandon on 07/13/2009 12:09 am

e-mail alert

1- That he gave us what he had, his music. We did not need to know about his personal life. It was personal

2- what I mean is we cannot expect Katherine to what we want her to do.

3- they should have intervened, because after all they were the adults and should have had the jackson 5(the kids) in their best interest

4-Of course you are ridiculing him by calling him a dopehead. He can’t even defend himself. I really feel sorry for someone that you know to fall below your moral standards. I would hate to be them!

5-As far as what this country has come to was not MJs fault nor mine or yours. Let’s talk about what has been going on in this country before MJ (the drug use by our leaders, Slavery(how moral was that!) or anything else that went on before MJ. He did not ask for us to dig into his life.

By Nicole Kitt on 07/13/2009 4:22 pm

e-mail alert

Nicole,

I am not ridiculing him. It is a statement of fact. He was an addict. Let me be very clear on something: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT FOR ANY ADDICT. It’s not my moral standard……it’s the country’s moral standards. We have laws against using drugs so that should tell you that this country adopts a standard of a drug-free America. And you’re telling me I’m supposed to excuse his addiction?

Celebrities by nature have little chance of having a private life. Nonetheless I feel they are entitled to them. However, given the evidence that was not allowed to be introduced in the court case, I would say there was good reason to dig into his personal life.

As far as expecting Gordy or Ritchie or the others you mentioned to be responsible for Jackson’s safety, my guess is that they didn’t see him as often as one might think. Jackson’s safety was his parents’ responsibility, first and foremost.

Why talk about slavery? That was a very bad thing and it’s been acknowledged many times over. We’re living in the 21st century. Let’s talk about the here and now. What’s your REAL issue?

By Andrea Brandon on 07/13/2009 4:54 pm

e-mail alert

Since when did this country became a drug-free country when the government infultrated the inner-city with heroin!. I grew up in NY in Harlem to be exact and there are no poppy fields there. The only reason that we "adopted" this drug free crap was because drugs got into the suburbs. Let’s be real!!!!!. Slavery has been acknowledged over and over because this country looks at it as a eyesore! My real issue is that this country seems to have it in for Black Athletes, Black Entertainers, Black Actresses and etc. As I stated before ELVIS was a WOMANIZER and DRUG ADDICT as well and he did’nt get half the crap that Michael Jackson THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER IS GETTING. Oh and by the way, since you are so worried about the moral issues of this country, read the constitution and tell me what it says about a BLACK man.