Debbie Rowe has largely stayed out of the public eye in the years since the death of Michael Jackson, maintaining a quiet and private life.
The couple married in 1996 and had two children together—Prince Jackson and Paris Jackson—before divorcing in 2000. Michael also had a third child, Bigi Jackson, via surrogate.
Interest in Michael’s personal life has recently resurfaced, especially with renewed attention from a biographical film about his early years. While his first marriage to Lisa Marie Presley remains widely discussed, Debbie’s story has been more understated, as she has consistently avoided the spotlight.
Debbie first met Michael years before their marriage while working for dermatologist Arnold Klein, who treated the singer for vitiligo. Their bond grew stronger after Michael’s divorce from Lisa Marie, during which he expressed concern about never becoming a father. Debbie offered to have his children, and the two wed in Sydney in November 1996 while she was pregnant with their first child.
After welcoming Prince in 1997 and Paris in 1998, the couple separated and finalized their divorce in 2000. As part of the agreement, Debbie gave up full custody of the children to Michael and reportedly received an $8 million settlement. She later sought to restore her parental rights in 2004 during Michael’s legal troubles.
Following Michael’s passing in 2009, the children went to live with his mother, Katherine Jackson, before later moving to Calabasas.
Since then, Debbie has rarely appeared in public. One of her last notable appearances was in 2013, when she testified in a lawsuit brought by Katherine Jackson against AEG Live, offering insight into Michael’s struggles with pain and medical treatment. More recently, she was seen in 2025 running errands in Palmdale, California, dressed casually and keeping a low profile.
Despite initially stepping away from her parental role, Debbie eventually rebuilt a relationship with Paris when she was a teenager. In a 2021 interview on Red Table Talk with Willow Smith, Paris shared that reconnecting with her mother felt natural, noting their similarities and mutual love of music. She described their bond as relaxed and friendly, calling it “chill” and easygoing.
