Katherine Jackson Home, 'Devastated' About Losing Custody, Says Her Kids Did Nothing Wrong
July 26 2012, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Katherine Jackson, before returning to the Jackson family's compound in Calabasas, California early Thursday, said she was "devastated" about losing custody of her grandchildren, and that her adult children had not held her against her will at an Arizona resort for nearly two weeks.
Katherine said she spoke with her three grandchildren, Paris, Prince Michael and Blanket and reassured them she would be back at their family home soon. (Paris confirmed her return on a tweet early Thursday, writing: "grandma's here! #thankyougod <33").
The Jackson family matriarch -- back in Los Angeles after 11 days -- delivered the news from the Miraval Arizona Report & Spa in Tucson, Arizona via a videotaped statement to ABC News Wednesday in which no questions were allowed. Flanked by Janet, Jermaine, Rebbie and Rebbie's daughter Stacy, Katherine read the statement from a piece of paper, occasionally losing her way.
"I am devastated that while I've been away, my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home," said Katherine, 82. "There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped and held against my will.
"I am here today to let everybody to know that I am fine," Katherine said. "My children would never do a thing to me like that, holding me against my will -- it's very stupid for people to think that."
Katherine -- in an attempt to clear up some of the "lies" circulating throughout the controversy -- said she was in Arizona for "short vacation and rest," and that the reason she hadn't called home was because she "just gave up her phone and she didn't want to have any phone calls while she was here."
The appearance came hours after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff temporarily revoked her guardianship of the three children, designating the task to Tito Jackson's son TJ, after Katherine's 10-day long absence. In the hearing, the judge noted he didn't feel Katherine was in the wrong in any way, but rather distracted by the "intentional acts of third parties."
Katherine's attorney Perry Sanders Jr. says he will meet with her on Thursday, and looks to have the court reinstate her as the primary guardian, noting he will contest any motion to have TJ installed as the permanent guardian of the three children.
Here is the full statement Katherine Jackson released to ABC News:
Hello, I'm Katherine Jackson, and there are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped and held against my will.
I am here today to let everybody know that I am fine and I am here with my children, and my children would never do a thing to me like that, holding me against my will. It's very stupid for people to think that.
But anyway, I am devastated that while I've been away, that my children, my grandchildren, have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home to see about that, also.
So I spoke to my grandson, TJ, last night, that I left there to be in charge of my children -- and I never leave home without leaving them with instructions of who to stay there with them, the nanny and all of them -- and someone had let go the cook, the nanny, and also the housekeepers. I don't know who did that but they don't have that power and they shouldn't have done it.
And now, the people are saying they are there with nothing to eat. I am sure they have something to eat but it's probably not healthy because the cook is not there.
But since I have also been away, my guardianship, which I just said, my children, have been taken away from me, my guardianship has been taken away from me. And, but, I spoke to my grandson TJ and also I spoke to Prince and Paris last night and told him I would be home today and they're waiting for me to come.
And I told him it wasn't necessary for him to go down and sign for guardianship. ... I don't know who instructed him to do that -- but that's what, but he wanted me to come home before that happened, but the ruling in court today was about the guardianship and I think it was based on a bunch of lies, but I have a good idea who's doing that and who's behind that.
But I am grateful for my children that they saw that I needed rest and they wanted to take me away for a while, just a short vacation and rest up. But one thing I have to say ... that I'm here at Miraval. They have taken good care of me and have made sure that I got the rest that I needed.
One reason I haven't called is I just gave up my phone and I didn't want to have any phone calls while I was here.
My assistant, Janice Smith, has been calling back home to see how things were going and she had been keeping in contact with my nephew, I mean my grandson, and he says everything is going fine. But I was still thinking about the children and I still worry about them, but they are fine.
Before I left, as I said, I put everything in order with the appropriate people to take care of my children for me and it's really bad to hear that what's going on at home, and the children have been taken away -- but I know that ... I'll get there in time to get them back. And after I finish this, I will be on my way home.
I have to thank Miraval again for taking very good care of me and making sure I got good rest.
We don't get much -- we saw an electric show because it was lightening and we saw a rainbow.
I had a very good time here -- and if anyone wants to rest I think they should come here.
Because there's a lot of lies that have been put out there and I am going home to straighten them out and this kind of stuff doesn't make sense. So I want to say goodbye and I am on my way home.
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