Michael Jackson’s ‘secret son’ sat with Jackson family at memorial concert | Mail Online
Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine has vowed to welcome Omer Bhatti into the Jackson clan if he proves to be the singer’s fourth child.
The 25-year-old Norwegian rapper sat in the front row with the Jackson family at the singer’s memorial service in Los Angeles two weeks ago.
Jermaine Jackson said he wasn’t yet sure whether Omer, said to have been the result of a one-night stand, was his brother’s son. But if he was a Jackson, he would be treated exactly the same as Michael’s three younger children, he said.
‘If Omer’s his son, he’s his son,’ Jermaine declared yesterday.
‘We won’t deny it. We are going to give him the same love and care that we give Prince and Paris and Blanket. I can’t clearly say if he is Michael’s but I saw this kid around him.’
Jermaine said Omer, who as a child looked remarkably like Jackson’s seven-year-old son Blanket, was moved to the family seats at the memorial service by Jackson’s eldest sister Rebbie. She wanted him closer to their mother, Katherine.
‘My sister went and got him during the service and got him to sit closer to my mother,’ Jermaine said.
Family ties: Omer Bhatti (circled) sat among Jackson family members (L-R) Rebbie, Janet, Randy, Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Jermaine at the memorial service at LA’s Staples Center on July 7
Omer was sat in between Rebbie and Prince Michael I on the front row
Omer is said to be seeking a DNA test to find out whether Jackson was his father.
In dark sunglasses and a black suit, he looked just like a member of the family as he bowed his head while listening to tributes to the King of Pop at the July 7 service.
His appearance at the memorial and his physical similarities to Blanket, has fuelled speculation that he is the son of the legendary star.
Omer has remained in LA since Michael’s death and has been playing with the Jackson children at the family compound in Encino, California.
If he is a Jackson, Omer would be the oldest of Michael’s four children, joining Prince Michael, 12, Paris Michael, 11, and Blanket (Prince Michael II) seven.
The Thriller singer reportedly told close friends several years ago that he fathered Omer after a one-night stand with a Norwegian fan in 1984.
Omer’s family, who live in the Norwegian capital Oslo, refused to rule out the possibility he is a Jackson.
More…
• Michael Jackson the freak is better off dead, says Rupert Everett
• I’ll raise Michael’s children, vows sister Janet
• Michael Jackson left to die on drugs drip after a doctor fell asleep, his plastic surgeon claims
After hearing of the singer’s death of a cardiac arrest on June 25, Omer’s mother, Pia Bhatti, said: ‘He was the King of Pop. But for us he was so much more.’
Omer’s Pakistani father Riz confirmed his son was at the memorial, but declined to give further details.
He told The Sun: ‘Yeah, yeah, I know because I was watching. I told my wife, “Just wait until the Press see this. It’s not a small thing.”’
When asked if Michael was the biological father of Omer, Riz replied: ‘Make what you like. I don’t want to discuss anything.’
Chip off the old block? Dancer Omer Bhatt at home in his native Norway
The existence of Omer first became public in 2003 when US TV show Dateline broadcast a 1998 home video of him receiving gifts from Michael.
It is thought Omer and his parents lived with Michael on and off in the late Nineties and early Noughties after meeting the star in Tunisia in 1996.
Omer was thought to have been introduced to Michael in a Tunisia hotel and impressed the singer with his dance moves.
A Fox News report in 2004 claimed Michael had been telling his friends he was the father, but they were unsure whether or not to believe him.
Similarities: Omer, pictured as a 17-year-old in 2001, shares a likeness with Michael’s youngest son Blanket
A Jackson insider told Fox: ‘I’m not surprised Michael says he’s the father. It’s a fantasy. But these people did not exist in Michael’s life before 1996.’
Omer was photographed frequently with the singer and had styled himself as a mini Michael impersonator.
The following year, the Bhatti family moved from Oslo to California and became employees of Michael.
Omer’s mother Pia worked as a nanny for Michael’s ‘official’ son Prince Michael II, while his father Riz became a chauffeur.
In 2001, Michael dedicated his last studio album Invincible to Benjamin Hermansen, an African-Norwegian friend of Omer’s who was killed by neo-Nazis.
Friends or family? Michael Jackson pictured with 12-year-old Omer after meeting in a Tunisia hotel in 1996
In 2003, Omer was photographed visiting Michael when the star was having a ‘detox’ holiday in Colorado.
Omer was also in Michael’s Neverland ranch in 2003 when it was raided by police during the child molestation investigation.
Speaking last year, Omer said: It was totally sick. It was the whole squad from Santa Barbara Police Department. We didn’t know why they were there. Michael was not at home.’
The family returned to Norway, but Omer insisted last year he was in close contact with Michael.
He said: 'Loyalty is the most important thing for me.
'I have contact with Michael, and I think my loyalty to him is the reason we still have our contact.
‘He is an unbelievably good human being.’
Read more: Michael Jackson’s ‘secret son’ sat with Jackson family at memorial concert | Mail Online