Michael Jackson's Role As A Father Revealed In Court Testimony

Michael Jackson is revealed as a doting father in testimony offered during hearings related to the civil suit filed against AEG Live by the singer's mother Katherine Jackson. Fatherhood remained a source of pride for Michael Jackson and an aspect of life that he was also fiercely private about; the singer went to great lengths to protect the identities of his children from the press and an increasingly curious public, often covering their faces in colorful masks and shrouds. What some considered to be erratic behavior from an eccentric public figure has been countered by recent statements from employees and others in Jackson's inner circle who were privy to his interactions with his children Paris Katherine Jackson, (Prince) Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. and Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket). Billboard recently documented testimony from Alif Sankey - one of Jackson's dancers - regarding an interaction he had with Jackson's daughter Paris during a rehearsal.

The final month of Jackson's life was a busy time. There were rehearsals for "This Is It," planning meetings and film shoots for a series of mini-movies that would precede some of his greatest hits at the London shows.

Jackson brought his children to the shoot for a "Smooth Criminal" video that culminated with Jackson leaping through a window while being shot at by Humphrey Bogart.

Alif Sankey, a backup dancer on the original video who was working on the comeback concerts, sat next to Paris during the shoot. The 11-year-old wanted to share a secret and opened up her purse.

It was filled with candy, Sankey recalled. Jackson didn't want his children to eat sweets, and Paris asked Sankey to keep it quiet.

The dancer noticed something else inside the purse — tiny picture frames with images of her father. "Her purse was full of candy and pictures of Daddy."

The testimony from Sankey and others close to Jackson counters negative public perceptions of the singer, who was demonized for his interactions and subsequent legal battles with several children and their families following accusations of abuse and misconduct. The picture of Jackson painted by the latest testimony even helps to improve upon what many considered glaring evidence of parental ineptitude sparked by his decision to hold Blanket over a balcony for the cameras of curious fans and photographers in 2002. Jackson's death in 2009 left his children in the care of their grandmother, who alleges that AEG Live is responsible for her son's death based upon their failure to properly investigate Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray was convicted of administering a lethal dose of propofol - the drug that reportedly combined with profound sleep deprivation and what some allege was Michael Jackson's already frail condition, to cause his untimely death at the age of 50.

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