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Michael Jackson's mother Katherine stripped of guardianship

The long running Jackson family saga has yet again hit a new low, after Michael’s three children were given a new guardian.
 
When Michael Jackson tragically died in 2009 his mother Katherine, 82, was given custody of Prince, Paris and Blanket.  But in a dramatic turn of events, a judge yesterday awarded custody to the children's 34-year-old cousin, Tito Jackson Jr.
 

The Jackson children with grandmother Katherine (right)

Tito Jr, known as TJ, will now get access to funds from the estate in order to care for the children, who are thought to be in favour of him being their temporary guardian. It was also ordered that the kids should not be removed from California without a court order – with the Judge urging TJ to file for permanent guardianship.
 

TJ Jackson now has custody of Michael's children

TJ became tearful as he told the court how he had a strange conversation with Katherine, who 14-year-old Paris had earlier reported missing in in a series of angry Twitter posts.

TJ, who once dated Kim Kardashian, added: ‘I’ve never heard my grandmother talk like that.’ A source told an American news site that members of the family were ‘alarmed and nervous’ about the call, with a ‘prevailing view that Randy and company have drugged their mum.’ Even one of Katherine’s lawyers said in a statement: ‘I have reason to believe she is being held against her will.’

On Sunday Paris took to her twitter page to express concern over her grandmothers wherebeing. She wrote: ‘yes, my grandmother is missing. I haven’t spoken with her in a week and I want her home now’. And on Monday she wrote ‘8 days and counting. Something is really off, this isn’t like her at all..i wanna talk directly to my grandmother!!<|3’
 
It was initially rumoured that Katherine’s children had kidnapped her in a bitter dispute over Michael’s £323m inheritance. TJ also alleged that his aunts and uncles arranged for a ‘fake’ doctor to convince his grandmother to abandon plans to attend a concert, instead going to a luxury spa to rest.
 

The Jackson family shared this picture of Katherine playing cards amid rumours of her kidnap

Katherine has since hit back at these claims in a public statement made on American television yesterday. She said: ‘I am here today to let everybody know that I am fine and I am here with my children, and my children would never do a thing to me like that, holding me against my will. It’s very stupid for people to think that.’
 
Earlier in the week, TJ’s father, Tito, withdrew from the plot – involving Randy, Janet, Jermaine and Rebbie – to overthrow the executors of their brother’s will, which leaves everything to his children and nothing to them. They have claimed the will is fake and the signature was forged.
 
The judge who suspended Katherine’s guardianship said his decision was not down to any wrongdoing – but argued that she had been prevented from doing her duties by ‘intentional acts from third parties.’
 
It’s been a chaotic couple of weeks in the famous musical family’s household and no doubt this will only fuel more drama. Only yesterday, footage was released that allegedly showed Janet, 46, hitting her niece, calling her ‘a spoiled little b****.’
 
According to an American news site, things got so out of hand that police had to be called in to break up the trouble that had erupted between Trent Jackson, who sided with his young cousins, and Janet’s brothers, Randy and Jermaine. A source added that when Janet supposedly screamed abuse, Paris responded by saying: ‘This is our house. Not the Jackson family house. Get the f*** out!’


The Jackson family at the Michael Jackson's memorial service
 
When she heard about the loss of custody, Katherine said: ‘I am devastated that while I’ve been away, that my children, my grandchildren, have been taken away from me, and I’m coming home to see about that, also.
 
‘Before I left I put everything in order with the appropriate people to take care of my children for me and it’s really bad to hear that what’s going on at home and the children have been taken away – but I know that…I’ll get there in time to get them back.’