Michael Jackson rehearsal from 'This Is It' tour

Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe has reportedly said she will fight for custody of the two children they had together. It emerged on Wednesday that the singer's will specifically cuts out Rowe, the former dermatologist nurse he married in November 1996 during the Australian leg of his HIStory world tour. They first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson had treatment for the skin condition vitiligo. They divorced ten years ago and Rowe gave Jackson full custody of their two children - Michael Joseph, 12, who is known as Prince, and Paris-Michael Katherine, 11. The will sees Jackson's entire estate left to a family trust which will provide for his 79-year-old mother Katherine, Prince, Paris and his other child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, who is known as Blanket and was born to a surrogate mother. The will, written in July 2002, also names Katherine as the children's guardian, but if she is unable to care for them, singer Diana Ross will step in. Jackson's brother Jermaine said: "I thought it was a great will because the children are fine, my mother's the perfect person to be there, and it's definitely him." Meanwhile, Jermaine has said Neverland would be the perfect final resting place for his brother as speculation grows over funeral arrangements. The singer's family has already said his body will not go on public display at the famous ranch, located 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, as plans are drawn up for a funeral which could take place early next week. Jermaine, four years older than Michael, said of Neverland Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara County: "This is his home. He created this. Why wouldn't he be here?" Some reports claim a memorial service will take place next Tuesday at LA's Staples Center arena, the home of the LA Lakers, while others pointed to the city's Coliseum sports stadium. A spokesman for Jackson's family could not confirm those reports nor could officials with the venues. Jermaine also revealed that when he saw the body of his sibling in an LA hospital last Thursday, he kissed him on the forehead and wished that he had died instead. He said: "I don't know how people are going to take this, but I wish it was me. I've always felt that I was his backbone. Someone to - someone to be there for him." Footage of Jackson rehearsing for his series of sell-out comeback concerts in London has been released as US reports claim he used aliases to get prescription drugs. But Jermaine said the allegations hurt his family, adding: "For people to come forth and say things that they don't have the facts to is very damaging to the family, to me, to us, because we don't know. "Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. But I'm not saying it's right, because it's not right, but in this business the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turn(s) to." The US's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been called in by police in LA as they probe the claims. The agency has vast experience in dealing with drug abuse and could evaluate the potential role of illegal drug manufacturers known as pill mills. An official autopsy has been performed but toxicology tests won't be ready for weeks. Results of a private autopsy by a family doctor on behalf of the Jackson family have not been released.

» More on this story... «

ITN | July 2, 2009

Tags:. .comeback. .mills. .kissed. .vitiligo. .footage