I Believe Paris Is My Daughter

http://www.popeater.com/2009/08/09/michael-jackson-kids-godfather-paris-is-my-daughter

Jackson Kids' Godfather: I Believe Paris Is My Daughter
Sunday 09 August 2009

A British tabloid reported Saturday that the godfather of Michael Jackson's three children claims to be the father of the singer's daughter Paris. The News of the World quotes Jackson's longtime friend Mark Lester as saying that he "gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids -- and I believe Paris is my daughter."

The newspaper also quotes Lester, is a 51-year-old former child star known for his lead role in the 1968 movie version of the state show "Oliver!" as saying he's willing to take a paternity test.

In a video interview Lester said he donated his sperm at a London clinic. He said Jackson was married to Debbie Rowe at the time. "She's the birth mother of the children so I naturally assumed the sperm donation would obviously have gone into Debbie and Debbie would have borne the children," he said.

"It's been a secret for so long," Lester said. "In 1996 Michael asked me if I would give him my sperm and I said yes. It was a gift to him, no money was paid, it was something I was honored to do. He wanted children so badly."

"I'm the godparent to them and Michael was godparent to all my four kids. Our two families spent a lot of time together, and had a lot fun together. Now I'm not able to have any communication with the children. My repeated phone calls aren't returned and emails go unanswered."

"It's a contact issue," he said on the video. "I dearly want to remain in contact with those kids and I feel now this is the only way I can ensure that."

Uri Geller, a close friend of Jackson's, said during a GMTV interview: "I have no reason to doubt Mark's story, simply because I remember years ago in New York, Michael implied to me that he wanted Mark to help him father a child for him."

Other reports indicate that Lester's words were misintrerpreted though, PEOPLE reports. "They twisted his words around. He's not claiming to be the father of Paris Jackson," says one close family source.

Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan adds that the story is just another unproven and meaningless claim, and the probate court has no reason to go against its finding that the late King of Pop is father to all three of his kids.

"These are just merely claims with no legal standing whatsoever," McMillan said.