Michael Jackson’s mother temporarily loses guardianship of late singer’s children

He said some of her speech sounded slurred and she used words that made him wonder if she was speaking in code.

The children’s guardian ad litem, Margaret Lodise, said she spoke with the children and the two oldest, Prince and Paris, supported the appointment of a temporary guardian. Ms. Lodise did not ask the youngest son, 10-year-old Blanket, for his views.

Ms. Lodise is responsible for overseeing the children’s interests in the estate of their father.

Judge Beckloff ordered TJ Jackson’s attorney, Charles Shultz, to give notice of his ruling to two other potential guardians — singer Diana Ross and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of the eldest Jackson children. Miss Ross was named in Michael Jackson’s 2002 will as a potential guardian if his mother was not able to serve.

“Debbie is watching the situation carefully, and wishing for Katherine’s speedy recovery,” her attorney Eric George wrote in an email.

Mr. Schultz said TJ Jackson didn’t want to replace Mrs. Jackson as permanent guardian. Still, the judge noted that TJ Jackson would have to petition to become the permanent guardian within 48 hours and added that such a petition might not be heard if Mrs. Jackson re-emerges.

Mr. Sanders said after the hearing that he had received word that she was returning to Los Angeles on Wednesday. He said he would seek her reinstatement as guardian after speaking with her and would fight any move to have her permanently replaced.

He said he met with Randy and Janet Jackson in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, but he was not allowed to see his client. He said he still hoped the recent events were a misunderstanding, but he described the situation as “chaos.”

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