Debbie Rowe's 'close friend' Marc Schaffel has spoken out on her behalf today, claiming that Rowe 'wants what's best for her two young children'. Schaffel has been acting as a semi-official spokesperson for Rowe ever since Jackson died on June 25th.
Schaffel, aficionados will remember, is an ex-gay porn director who wormed his way into the King of Pop's life by disguising his past and telling the star he had worked in film. Jackson, who had long sought to break into the film industry, brought Schaffel onboard to produce a music video - and Schaffel burrowed himself in like a tic.
In the ensuing years Schaffel became like a right hand man to Jackson and helped to produce two rebuttal documentaries for the star in the aftermath of the Martin Bashir fiasco. However, Jackson was eventually alerted by his advisors to Schaffel's pornographic past and swiftly fired him, realising the implications that consorting with an ex-gay porn director could have for his already bruised image.
Schaffel subsequently sued Jackson for unpaid loans and the case was eventually settled out of court.
Schaffel and Rowe are believed to have met when she recorded an interview for Jackson's rebuttal documentary 'The Footage You Were Never Meant To See', which included damning evidence of Martin Bashir's lies and manipulation during the filming of 'Living With Michael Jackson'.
It is unclear, though, whether Debbie Rowe realises that her 'close friend' Schaffel has been selling home videos of Jackson and his children to various American networks for six figure sums, all the while releasing statements on behalf of the children's mother, who is rumoured to be embroiled in a custody battle.
It is thought that the home videos came into Schaffel's possession when he was putting together a documentary titled 'Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies', which was aired in 2003 and included footage of Jackson interacting with his children. However, Jackson insisted that their faces were blurred in the broadcasted show.
But footage of Jackson at home with his children - in which their faces are distinctly unblurred - has been leaking steadily to an assortment of US television networks. Sources tell me that this footage is being pedaled by Schaffel, who could have made more than half a million dollars so far from selling out Jackson's private family moments.
If Rowe is indeed aware of Schaffel's actions then her insistence that she wants the best for her children must be taken with a pinch of salt. If she doesn't know, then Schaffel obviously isn't the 'very close friend' she thought he was.
