Debbie Rowe’s private life away from the spotlight since Michael Jackson’s death

With pop icon Michael Jackson back in the spotlight following a biopic detailing his early life, many fans have been curious about his private world and those closest to him beyond the fame and headlines.

While much is known about Michael’s first wife, Lisa Marie Presley, to whom he was married from 1994 to 1996, his second wife, Debbie Rowe, largely led a more low-key life away from the spotlight.

Michael welcomed two children, Prince, 29, and Paris, 28, with Debbie. He also fathered a third child, Bigi, 24, formerly known as Blanket, via surrogate.

© Dave Benett

How did Michael and Debbie meet?

Michael and Debbie met years before his first marriage. Debbie, now 67, worked as an assistant to the Thriller singer’s dermatologist, Arnold Klein, who began treating him for vitiligo in 1983.

The pair grew particularly close following Michael’s divorce from Lisa. Debbie later revealed that one of Michael’s biggest fears after the split was that he might never have children. As a result, she offered to carry his future kids and the pair tied the knot on 15 November 1996 in Sydney, Australia, while Debbie was pregnant with their first child.

© Getty

After welcoming Prince in February 1997 and Paris in April 1998, Debbie and Michael went their separate ways, divorcing in April 2000.

Debbie’s life after divorce 

As part of their prenuptial agreement, Debbie relinquished full custody of Prince and Paris to Michael. She reportedly received an $8 million settlement, equivalent to around $15 million today.

The following year, Debbie requested that her parental rights be terminated. However, she later sought to have this decision reversed in 2004, when Michael was charged with ten counts of child abuse.

© Getty Images

Following Michael’s death in 2009, all three children went to live with his mother, Katherine Jackson, in Encino, California, before later relocating to Calabasas.

Debbie’s life after Michael’s death

Since her relationship with Michael, Debbie has maintained a largely private life. Her last major public appearance came in 2013, when she gave evidence during a civil case filed by Katherine Jackson against concert promoter AEG Live following her son’s death.

During her testimony, Debbie reflected on Michael’s low pain threshold, saying: “Unfortunately, some of the doctors decided that when Michael was in pain, they would try to see who could give him the best painkiller,” she said. 

© AFP via Getty Images

Debbie was last pictured in public in 2025, when she was spotted running errands in Palmdale, California. The former assistant wore blue jeans and a blue patterned shirt, dark sunglasses, white espadrilles and shoulder-length blonde hair.

Debbie’s relationship with her children 

Despite relinquishing her parental rights following the divorce, Debbie later rebuilt a relationship with her daughter, Paris Jackson, when she was 15.

© Instagram

Speaking to Willow Smith about the reunion on Red Table Talk in 2021, Paris said: “It’s cool, getting to know her, seeing how similar we are, getting into what kind of music she really likes. She really likes country and folk, so I sent her some of the stuff I’m working on.”

She added: “We look a lot alike. It’s just cool having her as a friend. It’s very chill, which I love. It’s the perfect word to describe it.”