RÉCIT.- Absent from the new biopic dedicated to Michael Jackson, released in theaters on April 22, Debbie Rowe nonetheless remains a significant figure in his story. From confidante to wife, and then mother of his two children, she was long at the heart of his life before being excluded from it.
In 1983, Debbie Rowe was hired at the office of Dr. Arnold Klein, a star dermatologist from Beverly Hills whose clientele included celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor. For this young woman in her twenties, passionate about her job, it was an unexpected entry into a world that was previously foreign to her. Especially since the doctor also treated a patient unlike any other: a certain Michael Jackson, undergoing treatment for vitiligo, a skin condition. As a medical assistant, Debbie Rowe participated in the singer’s consultations and by getting to know him, she quickly became more than just an office employee. From a familiar face, she quickly became the confidante of the King of Pop. In 2003, in a rare interview with ABC News, she recounted their first meeting in very direct terms: “I said ‘Hi’ to him. He said ‘Hi’ back during the consultation, and I said, ‘You know what? Nobody does what you do better than you, and nobody does what I do better than me. So let’s do it.’ He laughed, and we became friends right away. It was instantaneous.”
A life pact
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When their friendship began in the early 1980s, Michael Jackson was still playing the field. He dated several young women and notably introduced actress Brooke Shields as his girlfriend. But one encounter marked a turning point: the one with Lisa Marie Presley, the King’s only daughter. They married in May 1994, in a highly publicized context. However, their union lasted only two years. After this first divorce in 1996, Debbie Rowe remained one of the few people the singer could rely on, even in the darkest moments. She recalled that pivotal moment, still with ABC News: “I was trying to console him because he was really upset.” According to her, Michael Jackson confided in her his deep desire to become a father, a wish he considered essential. Faced with his distress, Debbie Rowe made her decision: “I told him, ‘So, be a father.’ He looked at me, perplexed. And that’s when I said, ‘Let me do it. I want to do it. You have been so good to me. You are a great friend. Please, let me do it. You should be a father, and I want you to be.'”
