Jackson's mother, nephew to share custody of children
AFP
LOS ANGELES- Michael Jackson's mother will share custody of his children with his nephew, lawyers said Friday after a hectic week for the musical family.
Katherine Jackson, 82, met with her grandson TJ Jackson, 34, Thursday and agreed that joint custody is in the best interest of the children, the Jackson family matriarch's lawyer Perry Sanders said in a statement.
The Jackson family will formalize the new custody arrangement early next week, Sanders said, ending the family's dispute over the custody of Prince (15), Paris (14) and Blanket (10).
On Wednesday, the Superior Court in Los Angeles granted TJ temporary custody of the children, because of Katherine Jackson's mysterious disappearance for 10 days. She had previously been the guardian of the children.
The fractious Jackson family has been embroiled in legal and financial disputes since the pop star's sudden death in June 2009 from an overdose of propofol, a powerful anesthetic.
Entertainment media portrayed the 82-year-old Jackson's absence as an abduction by Michael's siblings, who are allegedly furious they did not inherit any of the singer's assets.
Katherine Jackson controls the $70,000 per month that Michael Jackson left his family in his will.
The document grants TJ custody of the children, if Katherine Jackson dies while they are still minors.
Together with his brothers Taj and Taryll, TJ is part of an R&B band they started in the 1990s, 3T, which performed a tribute to Michael Jackson in October 2011 in Britain.
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