Family Law

The Michael Jackson ? Rowe Marriage and Divorce

By Erin Kelley

As the world awaits the autopsy results for the late Michael Jackson, the rumors, hushed conversations and occasional clamoring over Jackson?s past continue to traverse the populous.

Of the numerous topics of interest which tell the Michael Jackson story what seems to be of the least prioritized to most is that of his unsuccessful attempts at marriage.

Jackson?s first marriage to Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis Presley) lasted just under two years and was seen more of a public relations stunt than a union of hearts.

On November 15, 1996 Jackson?s marriage to Debbie Rowe, a former nurse, took place at a hotel suite in Sydney, Australia.

She knew Jackson for 15 years before they were married, and was apparently six months pregnant at the time of their marriage.

The Jackson - Rowe marriage seemed to produce the largest amount of scrutiny, as there was not a clear line of intent or relationship to draw the two together.

Even though Jackson and Rowe were friends for 15 years, all who knew the two were just as shocked as the general public over the marriage.

Seemingly, the obscure actions and events which constantly colored the life of Michael Jackson had then bleed into the confines of marriage.

To no one?s surprise the marriage between Jackson and Rowe, again cited with irreconcilable differences as a reason for their divorce, ended in 1999.

To add further obscurity to the marriage is the testimonial of Rowe during Michael Jackson?s trial on 4/27/05 that “[we] never shared a home; we never shared an apartment.”

Further adding to the trauma so often produced from a divorce, Rowe admits of being strong-armed in her visitation rights of their children (Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr: Born in 1997, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson: Born in 1998) following the divorce stating that she had not seen her children in more than two years.

Debbie had been limited to seeing her children only every 45 days, and then for only eight hours under the supervision of a nanny.

Whether this is a result of Rowe?s inability to secure the same level of legal counseling that Jackson maintained- thus be overpowered in the legal proceedings- or it is more a situation of subservient agreements funded by the Jackson camp, one thing is for certain the children of the Jackson - Rowe marriage lost every time.

As for Rowe, following her divorce, she received a $1 million home in Beverly Hills, but had to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that she couldn’t speak to the press or anyone in the public about “Michael, the children or our lives together.”

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).