Former Jackson Adviser Sheds Light on Rowe

(CBS)  One person who knew both Michael Jackson and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is Stuart Backerman, the star's former adviser and publicist.

Backerman stopped by "The Early Show" Tuesday to talk to co-anchors Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez about Rowe and what he expects may happen with the unsettled issue of who will have custody of Jackson's two oldest children.

Backerman said he hasn't had contact with Rowe since Jackson died on June 25.

Asked if he thinks she would want to be part of the kids' life and whether she might be the best person to raise the children, Backerman said, "To tell you the truth, you have to go back in time. Debbie came to Michael's aid on a number of occasions. In two particular cases, she was critical. After the (journalist) Martin Bashir interview, Debbie came out and said Michael would never harm a child, and that mitigated the Martin Bashir frenzy that occurred at that time."

"Number two is that during the trial of the century, when Michael was charged with child molestation, Debbie was a prosecution witness and she came forth and really blew the prosecution case out of the water, because she said Michael was a wonderful person, that Michael would never harm a child. That Michael was fantastic with his kids and that, to many people, put it over the top in terms of the jury deciding not guilty," he explained.

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"So she's come to his aid in a number of cases. This is after the 2002 will. And so she cares for Michael. Michael's will came out, that was prepared, and in that will, Michael made it very clear he wanted his mother to be the custodial parent for the children. And I would be very surprised if Debbie would want to stir the pot - create a big scene - so to speak, and a messy court case, given that she really did care for Michael. I don't think she wants to go against the family," Backerman predicted.

Backerman told Smith he does not believe the rumors that Rowe is not the biological mother of the two older children. "I don't think there's a question about that. And I think she would be able to prove that if it came to that."

"I want to ask you about today's memorial. I'm holding this ticket for this memorial and it strikes me - it's screaming fans, all this press, a live broadcast, ticket and wristband to get in? Is this a Michael Jackson concert or Michael Jackson funeral? It's almost like he's dying the way that he lived," Rodriguez remarked.

"It's interesting, because it's a contradiction in a way with the police presence," Backerman said. "On one hand and it's a memorial in essence, sort of like a sad type of event, but on the other hand, it's going to music and entertainment, because that's who he was. A great entertainer and great performer. Almost like his life, a contradiction in terms."

[realnews12]

Oh nameless one 2 posts up: You are every bit as bad as the worst of the people you decry, so taken up by the "hype" that you must write a long, nasty commentary on those you feel are unworthy. How does that make you better than those you criticize ? It doesn't. Furthermore, you propagate your own cheap lies about MJ, like the one about a "voodoo curse" on Spielberg. Come on, I sure never heard that one before, so clearly you are delving into more trash about MJ than most people are. No one is "forcing anything down your throat". You are responsible for your own behavior, so go do something you feel is worthwhile instead of creating more trash-talk here. I for one think that MJ was an unsurpassed entertainer, musician, dancer, humanitarian, and father. The memorial service for him yesterday was a class act. Rest in peace, Michael. You will never be forgotten. You were much loved and will be missed.

[stormoya]

you are a real jerk. who cares if you listen to michael jackson or what you think of him. or if you think he was a child molester. he obviously meant a lot to the black community and the world community. and when you and i are dust inthe ground and no one remembers us he will be remembered but not by the cruelty of the likes of you and yours.

[allen_osuno-19315235572502123818007317584585]

I can't wait until the press and the media stop shoving Michael Jackson down our throats. Enough is enough! And I wish all the over-the-top crud and hyperbolic statements of worshippers could be punctured and all the hot air go out. Why don't people grow up a little bit?

The man, yes, was a musical innovator and a child prodigy but he wasn't THAT wonderful, nor was his music the best that has even been written.It was catchy some of it...and yes he was a pop idol at one time who fell on public disfavor later and was a victim if anything of the fickleness of the public.

I will probably be viciously attacked for saying it, but. I personally never cared for his music. NEVER felt the need to buy any of his records or his videos. Michael Jackson wasn't THAT wonderful, folks. He was a mixed bag of talent and mental problems. For example, Michael Jackson was a Jehovah's Witness at one point in his life. Then at another point he paid voodoo practitioners to put a curse
on Stephen Spielberg.

But to hear all the ballyhoo and boo hooing going on now, you'd think this guy ranked above Jesus Christ in deity and
in importance.

The way people are going ga-ga and bananas and the press is droning on and on and on about every nuance of his life and
his familiy and his estate and his relationship to any number of people in his life...and hashing and rehashing specials and pre-empting news hours
and everyone is expected to genuflect before Michael Jackson and weep bitterly over his death. I mean, I'm sorry he died
and it is tragic that he died so young, and he did a lot of innovation at some points in his life, but his later years were spent in legal
hassles, over-spending, and finally drugs to take away the sting of his mental anguish. He is as much a victim of his own making as he
Honestly, this excessive, overblown,weeklong media event pushing on us a cult of adulation shows the rotten, ingrown power of our national media to elevate and remove stars from their pedestals.

Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan and President Kennedy never got this kind of hero-worship after their deaths and they sure didn't get the excessive minisculely detailed hype that Michael is getting.

Michael was actually a victim of the very people who are suddenly falling all over themselves to extol him posthumously when for years they ignored him, laughed at Michael Jackson jokes (cruel jokes) of the late night comics and adopted the nickname of the press who kept calling him "Jacko" while smirking about the similarity of that name to a word that is similar and has "FF" at the end.

It shows the power of our ROTTEN press that a few media conglomerates can exhalt whom they will and despise whom they will.

President Obama's breakthroughs in Russia got a back seat to Michael Jackson. For THE LOVE OF CHARLEY, this is bordering on Roman emperor deification----not during his life but after the Roman emperor died.

Nobody, especially Michael Jackson is THAT wonderful and above all when he as a man was a pedophile, infantile, a spoiled brat and who exercised on many occasions very poor judgement in many ways.

Michael claimed to love children but he spent, even after his fame had waned, over 100,000 dollars a MONTH just on his apartment so he could live in the style to which he was accustomed. He had to pay off people who accused him of crimes against children.

How many of the worlds' children DIED when that money could have helped save a lot of them?

Where were all you sudden worshippers when for years you cared less about him? Calling him "Jacko" was good enough for you who of all of a sudden are posthumous revellers and wailers now.

You laughed at late night comics who were constantly capitalizing on his misbehaviors to beat up on him and tell Michael Jackson jokes?


Where were all you people to defend him when Jay Leno and David Letterman circulated and re-told those jokes and laughed and scoffed and guffawed? Get over this people. I am APPALLED that THIS CULT TO MICHAEL JACKSON HAS GROWN THIS OVERBLOWN.

Sorry, but in my humble opinion, Michael might have done some things pretty well for a pop artist, but for heaven's sake he was and is not worth all the hype he's getting from a hugel y ingrown and rotten press and any number of SHEEP who only now are jumping on the whipped up bandwagon. Dumbed down public? Sounds like it to me. You bet. Sincerity of caring? Not on your tintype!