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Yesterday the news broke about the Jackson family feud that is playing out right now like something out of a USA or Lifetime prime-time drama. We learned that the three children of Michael Jackson have been caught in the middle of an attempt by his siblings to get their hands on some of the money from the late singer’s estate. Meanwhile, Katherine Jackson was whisked away to visit Rebbie in Arizona, or was she? Today we’ve learned that TJ Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, is the one who has filed court papers for temporary custody of the kids.
It turns out that Tito (2nd from the left above) has been identified as the one who filed paperwork with the courts requesting temporary guardianship of the Jackson kids. He made the move after Katherine Jackson, the children’s current legal guardian, disappeared for over a week. He already had a strong connection with the kids, fostered by his comfort after their father died. Paris, Prince, and Blanket Jackson are in agreement and support the temporary guardianship move, which will probably have a big impact on the judge’s decision.
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In an interview with The Insider, Marlon, Tito, and Jackie Jackson revealed that they had been unable to communicate with their mother, who was reportedly on a doctor ordered rest at her daughter Rebbie’s Arizona home. When asked about who was behind the plot to get the estate’s executors replaced, Marlon refused to get into details. Tito went on after the interview to release his own statement speaking out against the plan and removing his name from a letter that accused the estate administrators of fraud:
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“”I completely retract my signature from the July 17th letter sent to the executors of my brother Michael’s estate and repudiate all the claims made against them. I don’t want any part of that letter whatsoever.”
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While Tito may want to wash his hands of the whole thing, Randy Jackson came forward and denounced the executors John Branca and John McClain, accusing them of criminal misconduct and saying that his brother’s will from 2002 was fake:
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“They know that they’ve been caught, they know that they’ve falsified a document and they know that there are questions that we want answered. This family is united to right a wrong.”
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Meanwhile, Katherine Jackson has finally made contact with her grandchildren. After more than a week in silence, Katherine’s attorney flew to Tuscon, Arizona, where the matriarch was staying. He met with Jermaine and Janet Jackson, who explained that the spa where Katherine was staying had no phone in her room and no cell reception at the resort. He insisted that she be allowed to call the grandchildren. Finally, last night, an emotional phone call took place. According to Radar Online, Paris was relieved to hear from her grandmother, who assured her she was okay. She said there were no immediate flights available for her to come home and that she was upset by her children’s actions and that she had no idea about the plan they were hatching to gain control of the estate.
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Today, with or without Katherine Jackson’s presence, the court marches on. An emergency guardianship hearing is underway this morning in Los Angeles, where TJ Jackson, along with his lawyer, Charles Schultz, are attempting to gain temporary custody of the children. However, early reports indicate that the judge has refused to hear the case, since no one has notified Diana Ross, who is Katherine’s successor to guardianship under Michael Jackson’s will.
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We’ll have an update on this breaking story later today, so be sure and check back with Myspace for the latest details. Meanwhile, feel free to leave your comments below and tell us what you think about the Jackson family feud.
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