Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley interviewed in 1995
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Last weekend was the 13th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death. The 50-year-old King of Pop was found dead at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009.
While he died a single man, he was married twice before. On May 26, 1994, he married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of one of his idols, Elvis Presley. But it didn’t end well.
Their marriage did not last for very long. This was mainly because Michael was adamant that he wanted to have children as soon as possible after the wedding. Lisa Marie had different ideas, however.
She already had children from her previous marriage. So she didn’t want to rush into having anymore.
But Michael did not like her answer. So he began threatening Lisa Marie by saying he would get his friend and confidant Debbie Rowe to have his children instead.
She said Michael was used to asking people around him: “If you’re not going to do it, this person will. Are you going to do it or not?”
Despite these harsh comments, Lisa Marie defended his actions.
Lisa Marie said: “Michael wasn’t a bad person, he didn’t know any better.” Despite this, she added: “I took it very personally, I felt I was disposable.”
She told Oprah Winfrey in 2010 that she knew Debbie was constantly in contact with Michael. And she also knew Debbie was telling the King of Pop that she would bear his children for him.
“He would tell me,” she recalled. “‘If you’re not gonna do it, Debbie said she’ll do it.’ And we would get into arguments because that wasn’t how to handle it. But that’s how he knew how to handle it.”
But Lisa Marie knew that she had to have a stable home life to bring children into.
Michael Jackson performs at Wembley stadium in 1997
Lisa Marie said: “I just wanted to make sure. I was looking into the future and I was thinking: ‘I don’t ever want to get into a custody battle with him. I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to go head to head with him so I need to make sure that everything around is good.'”
“I had children,” she added. “And I knew bringing children into certain circumstances you have to make sure that everything is safe and secure and ok. And I wanted to make sure he and I were really, really united because we were going to be up against so much.”
Unfortunately, Michael’s desires for children sooner rather than later were enough to break the marriage down. Lisa Marie filed for divorce in January 1996, after 18 months of marriage. They cited “irreconcilable differences”.
Before long, Michael started looking elsewhere to get what he wanted.
Michael married Debbie in November 1996 – just 10 months after splitting up with Lisa Marie.
Three months later, on February 13, 1997, Michael’s first child Prince Jackson was born. And they didn’t stop there.
A year later, on April 3, 1998, Paris Jackson was born.
After the birth of his first two children, Michael’s marriage with Debbie didn’t last much longer.
Michael divorced Debbie in 1999. She signed over the custody rights to both children.
In return, Debbie received an $8 million settlement and a house in Beverly Hills, California.
Their relationship didn’t end there, however. In 2006 Debbie sued Michael for one immediate payment of $195,000 and one payment of $50,000 to pursue a child custody case. Michael paid $60,000 in legal fees.
She was later granted visitation rights to her children from Michael’s mother, Katharine Jackson, after Michael’s death.
SOURCE
Source: Read Full Article