Katherine Jackson also temporary guardian of his estate
Michael Jackon’s mother Katherine Jackson has been granted temporary guardianship of her son's orphaned kids.
The Thriller hitmaker, who died from a cardiac arrest at the age of 50 last Thursday (June 25), is survived by Prince Michael Jr., 12, Paris Michael Katherine, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, known as 'Blanket'.
The kids are currently being cared for by their grandmother, who filed a petition for custody for all three children on Monday morning (June 29).
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge issued the ruling, but Katherine will have to wait until a July 6 hearing to discover who gets permanent guardianship of the kids.
Her attorneys told the court the children's biological mother, Debbie Rowe, has "no relationship" with them, and that if she won custody, it would be "detrimental" to the kids.
Rowe, who initially waived her parental rights to her two kids by the late pop star, is expected to challenge the Jacksons for custody of Prince Michael and Paris. An appeals court has ruled she is the legal mother of the children.
According to the Jackson matriarch's court documents, it is "not known at this time" whether Rowe agrees that Katherine should be the legal guardian.
The document continues: "Minor children are currently residing with paternal grandmother. They have a long-established relationship with paternal grandmother and are comfortable in her care."
Katherine Jackson has also been appointed temporary special administrator of her son's estate.
Hours after a Los Angeles court granted Katherine Jackson temporary guardianship of her late son's three children, the ageing matriarch was handed the power to administer aspects of her son's estate until a hearing the following week.
In ruling, a judge stated that Katherine will be able "to control tangible personal property currently in the physical possession of a third party, and to marshal and secure such assets."
In court papers filed by Katherine Jackson's attorney, she states, "Numerous bank accounts now exist that are in control of third parties, some of which accounts were used to pay expenses of (Michael Jackson's) parents' home."
The new ruling gives Jackson's mother immediate responsibility for her son's belongings and means nothing from his estate can be sold or auctioned by a third party without her knowledge and consent.
This follows reports that certain memorabilia items, which were retrieved from an April auction, are in the hands of a former associate of the King of Pop. These items, including a custom-made limousine and the old gates to Jackson's Neverland property, can no longer be sold until further notice.
Jackson's longtime friend David Gest is currently seeking legal action after his collection of memorabilia was sold in Las Vegas on Friday (June 26) night - a day after the King of Pop's death. He insists the timing of the sale was inappropriate.
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