Although the future of her guardianship with Michael Jackson's children is unclear, at least Katherine Jackson has returned to her grandchildren safe and sound.
"grandma's here! #thankyougod," Paris Jackson, 14, tweeted early Thursday morning. "5 hours of sleep last night, been awake for 23 … time to #hibernate."
Paris had grown increasingly frantic on Twitter about the whereabouts of her 82-year-old grandmother and guardian, whom she hadn't heard from in almost two weeks. Although Jermaine Jackson tweeted that his mother was fine and just on vacation in Arizona, rumors that Katherine's children were holding her somewhere against her will abounded.
But Katherine finally resurfaced Wednesday and returned to the California home where she has been living with MJ's three children -- Prince, 15, Paris and Blanket, 10 -- since Miachel's tragic death in 2009.
While we're sure Katherine was happy to return home, she was less ecstatic that her 34-year-old grandson TJ (son of Tito Jackson) was awarded temporary guardianship of MJ's three kids while she was away.
"I am devastated that while I've been away my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home," the 82-year-old matriarch told ABC News only hours before being reunited with her grandchildren. "There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped. I am here today to let everybody to know that I am good and fine. My children would never do anything to me like that."
When asked why she hadn't called her grandchildren to check in during her "short vacation and rest," Katherine said, "I just gave up my phone and I didn't want to have any phone calls while I was here."
Something doesn't quite add up in this story, but at least Katherine is home safe. And now that this drama is resolved, the focus will likely shift back to the dispute the Jacksons are having over MJ's estate.
Jermaine, Janet, Randy and Rebbie sent a letter to the executors of Michael's estate claiming that his will -- which leaves everything to his mother and children -- is a forgery. (Tito originally signed the letter, but has since changed sides in the dispute.) They also claim that Katherine is in poor health and an unfit guardian for her three grandchildren, despite denials from her attorney. That could be why Janet, Randy and Jermaine showed up at Katherine's home earlier this week and reportedly tried to take Prince, Paris and Blanket with them. Police investigated the incident, which allegedly included a fight, as a "possible battery."
Let's hope for the sake of the kids that this bizarre family feud comes to an end -- soon.
