EXCLUSIVE: How Michael Jackson's Relationship With Second Wife Debbie Rowe 'Doomed Marriage to Lisa Marie Presley'
An insider reveals how Debbie Rowe came between Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley's marriage.
July 7 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
A shocking manuscript exposed how the late Lisa Marie Presley's brief marriage with Michael Jackson was marred by a twisted love triangle with his second wife Debbie Rowe, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Presley was just 25 years old when she tied the knot with then-35-year-old Jackson in May 1994.
The heavily scrutinized relationship dominated headlines, and by August 1996, Elvis' daughter and the King of Pop parted ways.
‘Childlike Web of Deceit’
Jackson and Presley tied the knot in May 1994.
On the surface, it appeared the couple may have simply drifted apart or their marriage was built on shaky ground, as Jackson popped the question while Presley was still married to Danny Keough, with whom she shared daughter Riley and late son Benjamin. Presley and Keough divorced, and weeks later, she said "I do" to Jackson.
Regardless of how their marriage came to be, a source insisted Presley was "in love" with Jackson, but wasn't prepared for how his relationship with ex-wife Rowe would impact their marriage.
An insider told us: "Lisa Marie was in love with Michael and believed he loved her too. She thought their love was real, but she got caught up in his childlike web of deceit."
Doomed Proposal
The pair bonded over their 'complicated childhoods and growing up in the Hollywood spotlight.'
Presley and Jackson had been friends before they became romantically involved. The source noted they bonded over their "complicated childhoods and growing up in the Hollywood spotlight."
In 2003, Presley admitted she developed somewhat of a savior's complex with Jackson, who had begun abusing painkillers in 1984 after suffering an injury while filming a Pepsi commercial. Jackson
According to the manuscript about Presley’s life, a drug-fueled Jackson proposed to Presley, mistaking her for Rowe, who worked as a nurse at his dermatologist’s office.
Our source said: "When Michael asked Lisa to marry him, she was touched.
"She must have noticed something was off about his behavior, but she ignored it until he called her Debbie."
Affair Suspicions
Presley suspected Jackson was having an affair with Debbie Rowe, who worked at his dermatologist office.
While our source claimed Presley "went into the marriage with the best intentions," Jackson's drug use and close relationship with Rowe resulted in the union unraveling quickly.
Suspicious that Jackson and Rowe were having an affair, Presley confronted her, resulting in an epic showdown and Rowe confessing her love for the pop star.
The source added: "That’s when Lisa Marie knew she was a threat."
Presley was said to have told Rowe to go away and stop calling her husband, but the two remained in close contact.
Jackson's Confession
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Rowe's pregnancy led to Jackson and Presley's divorce in August 1996.
Our source continued: "There was no doubt in Lisa Marie’s mind that Michael was using Debbie to get more drugs."
In a documentary released in 2022, Rowe confessed to supplying the singer with painkillers, admitting: "I regret that. I will regret it. And I am so sorry that I participated in it."
Presley's final straw came when Jackson made his confession: Rowe was pregnant. Rowe later stated she never had sex with Jackson and had undergone artificial insemination.
The insider noted: "Lisa Marie felt humiliated and betrayed. It really broke her heart."
Separate sources claimed Rowe had a miscarriage, but the damage had already been done to Presley and Jackson’s marriage.
Three months after they divorced, Jackson married Rowe, and they welcomed son Prince, 28, and daughter Paris, 27.
Jackson died of an overdose at the age of 50 in 2009. Presley passed away aged 54 in 2023 from a bowel obstruction.
