Michael Jackson's children will live with their grandmother under an agreement reached with the King of Pop's ex-wife that ensures the youngsters won't have to endure a public fight over who raises them.
The agreement announced Thursday preserves Jackson's wishes as spelled out in his 2002 will, and reopens the door to a relationship with Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children. Rowe will be allowed to see her children in visits coordinated by a child psychologist.
Rowe will receive no money from the deal, as she had after previous custody arrangements with Jackson.
The agreement ends the possibility of a lengthy and public custody battle between Katherine Jackson and Rowe. It spares the children, who range in age from 7 to 12, from appearing before a judge and declaring who they would prefer to live with.
The announcement also ends weeks of rampant speculation about who would care for the children and Rowe's intentions, which were never officially announced before Thursday.
Michael Jackson, who died June 25 at 50, was the sole parent to his three children. He was married to Rowe for three years, but both had described the relationship as borne out of friendship and that Rowe had given birth to Prince Michael, 12, and Paris-Michael, 11, as a "gift." They divorced after Paris-Michael was born.
His third child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, was born to a surrogate and the mother's identity has never been revealed.
In a joint statement, attorneys for both women made clear that the agreement was reached with the children's best interests in mind.
"Mrs. Jackson and the family are pleased this matter is resolved and was handled in a caring, thoughtful and courteous manner by the parties and their representatives," L. Londell McMillan and Diane Goodman, attorneys for Mrs. Jackson, wrote in a statement. "We were all united in our goals to do what is best for Michael's wonderful children, and both Mrs. Jackson and Debbie Rowe were on the exact same page."
Eric M. George, an attorney for Rowe, called the agreement a "dignified outcome." George credited Katherine Jackson's attorneys for their work on the deal, and expressed pride with Rowe for "her integrity and selflessness."
Keeping Mrs. Jackson as the children's guardian should ease the numerous transitions they're undergoing, said Jill Waterman, a UCLA psychologist and adjunct professor.
"They need to be with someone who knows them, cares for them, who they trust, who they have an attachment and a bond with," she said. "They're going to need lots of support."
The use of a child psychologist to coordinate and oversee the visits is a smart move, said Dorian Traube, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work.
"This is a good model for introducing these kids to a woman that they don't know very well," Traube said.
Waterman said the visits with Rowe will likely start off short, and continue to be supervised until the children feel comfortable with the arrangement.
