Family Law

She?s Out of My Life: King of Pop?s Marriages & Divorces

By Erin Kelley

Michael Jackson’s death will be one of the biggest news stories of the year, decade and maybe even the century. Millions of fans were shocked when they heard the King of Pop was declared dead at 2:26pm at UCLA Medical Center on Thursday, June 25.

Jackson first came onto the scene with his brothers in the Jackson Five; however, within three years Jackson was singing solo. He was launched into fame and recognized for reinventing the pop industry with his song and music video “Thriller.”

Throughout the years, the public has witnessed how fame can wreck havoc on a person’s life. To say the least, Jackson led a troubled life, dealing with a dominating father, health issues, vicious rumors and criminal accusations.

Many people, critics, fans and professionals alike, questioned Jackson’s sanity as they witnessed the madness of his world. However, none of us will fully understand how the troubled yet talented man truly felt because we only saw half of the story.

One aspect of Jackson’s life that was a major question, was his love life. Jackson was typically be surrounded by children. And although there were many accusations and rumors that Jackson had illegal relationships with children, some felt children were who he could relate to the best.

The Ladies in His Life

Everyone was shocked when they found out Jackson had gotten married - to another music legend’s daughter no doubt. In May 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of America’s rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley.

Jackson, 37 at the time, and Presley, 27 at the time, were married in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Many questioned the marriage to be a publicity stunt to help salvage Jackson’s reputation, which had just been drug through the mud when a 13-year-old boy accused the star of molesting him.

“Just think - nobody thought this would last,” Jackson said about the marriage.

But just 20 months later, Presley filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.

In 1996 Jackson married a nurse named Debbie Rowe, who was supposedly six months pregnant when they married. It was speculated whether two really consummated the marriage or if the pregnancy was from artificial insemination. Either way, the couple had two children, a son named Prince Michael and a daughter named Paris.

In 1999, Rowe and Jackson divorced. Jackson was granted child custody of the two children, and Rowe only was allowed limited visitation rights while being supervised by a nanny.

In 2002 an unidentified woman gave birth to Prince Michael II, Jackson’s second son, after being artificially inseminated. Many people remember the infamous revealing of the baby boy in Berlin, when Jackson held him over a balcony with his face hidden under a blanket.

Sadly, within hours of Jackson’s untimely death, the legal battle of Jackson’s children and property are brewing. Check back to find out what will happen as the custody decisions unfold.

Learn more about Jackson’s life beyond the music - check out the Total Injury blog to read about his settlement and the Total Criminal Defense blog to find out about his legal legacy.

Sources: CNN, CNN, The Chicago Tribune

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on June 26, 2009 (boomark / email).