How are Michael Jackson’s kids holding up?
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 8:54PM His sister says they’re ‘doing fine’; their godfather says Paris is strongest
Michael Jackson’s three children went through some difficult days after their father’s sudden death 10 months ago, the singer’s eldest sister said Thursday, but now, surrounded by nurturing family members, they are recovering well.
Rebbie Jackson also said there may be some prosecution surprises in store when Dr. Conrad Murray goes on trial for his role in her brother’s death. “There’s an ongoing investigation, so I have to be very careful about what I say. But I think there’s going to be some interesting results for everyone,” she told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in New York.
So far, Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, is the only person charged in the superstar singer’s death. He is accused of involuntary manslaughter for administering a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol
to Jackson at the Los Angeles home he was renting.
Rebbie Jackson said she’s been kept abreast of the police investigation. Asked if Murray is the only person implicated, she said, “I think it’s a lot more than that possibly. We’ll find out. I can’t say too much, but it’s interesting what’s going on.”
Earlier, Jeff Rossen of NBC News had reported that Murray will not attempt to strike a plea bargain with prosecutors.
“There’s absolutely not going to be a plea deal here,” former LA. prosecutor Robin Sax told NBC. “Dr. Murray's defense team isn't backing down, and neither are prosecutors. This is going to come down to a battle of the experts. And it's not a slam dunk for either side.”
Kids getting better
While the legal process grinds on, Rebbie said that her brother’s three children, Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8, are thriving and continuing the process of emotional healing after losing their father.
The children, who grew up in a protective cocoon, continue to be insulated from the world. Rebbie moved in with them and her mother, Katherine Jackson, in Los Angeles for nearly three months after Jackson’s death last June.
She said she continues to see them as often as she can, commuting from her Las Vegas home to their home in Los Angeles.
“They’re with family members,” Rebbie said. “They’re insulated, you might say, and surrounded with a lot of cousins. I think it’s helping them to be stable, but it’s very difficult.”
She said the kids went through a very difficult time in the days and weeks immediately following Jackson’s death.
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Handout / Getty Images
Paris Jackson makes a heartfelt speech about father Michael, while Tito, Randy, Janet and Rebbie surround her at the Staples Center on July 7 in Los Angeles.
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“It was very difficult. It was very hard,” Rebbie said. “But yet, day by day you could see the progress of family members getting better and dealing with the situation better and feeling more serene about it.”
Now, she said, “They seem to be doing fine.”
Mark Lester, the kids’ godfather and the former child star of the musical “Oliver,” agreed.
“The kids are happy,” Lester told NBC News. “Paris' birthday was earlier this month. They had a big party. They're getting out, going to the cinema. They’re happy. Things are settling down. That’s good.” Lester pointed to Paris as the strongest of the singer’s three children.
While others struggle to cope, Michael Jackson’s career continues to thrive even after the singer’s death. A new deal has been struck to feature his music on a Cirque du Soleil production that will tour the country next year and settle in Las Vegas by 2012.
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