By ANTHONY CASTELLANO
July 24, 2012
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a "family
disturbance" at the Jackson family home after, sources said, Randy,
Jermaine and Janet Jackson showed up and apparently tried to take
Michael Jackson's kids away.
Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Monday there was a "scuffle"
between two family members at the Calabasas home of family matriarch
Katherine Jackson, but no
arrests were made.
TMZ posted a photo of siblings Janet and Jermaine Jackson standing outside the home around the time police were called, according to the website.
Katherine Jackson's laywer, Sandra L. Ribera, issued a statement today,
saying "Jackson family members ambushed Katherine Jackson's home after
their vehicle tore through
security gates on the tails of the SUV containing Michael Jackson's children."
Ribera said Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson were taken to safe
location. "An altercation ensued shortly thereafter and law enforcement
arrived at the scene," according to the statement.
ABC News consultant Howard Bragman of Reputation.com said, "This is
truly an escalation of what's been going on. There's a lot of private
security, so to actually have law enforcement called is a big step up."
It was the
latest drama that has plagued the Jackson family in the past few weeks. Katherine Jackson was
reported missing Saturday only to be found "resting" with her daughter in Arizona.
Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Michael Jackson's Family Fallout: Siblings Eyeing Custody Battle?
Katherine Jackson Reported Missing.
Katherine Jackson Missing?
X17Online obtained a photo of Jackson
smiling and playing Uno with her family in Arizona. Her children
released a statement Monday saying the missing person's report was
"created by the very person and persons we are trying to protect our
mother from."
Trent Jackson, Katherine Jackson's nephew and confidante who reported
her missing, tweeted Michael Jackson's 14-year-old daughter, Paris: "I
know it's completely unfair for them to do this you and your brothers.
We will keep trying. I love you."
Paris Jackson tweeted Monday , "8 days and counting. Something is really off, this isn't like her at all. I wanna talk directly to my grandmother."
Katherine Jackson is the legal guardian of her late son's three children
and there is no word on who is watching them in Jackson's absence.
Jermaine Jackson released a statement earlier this week about his mother's whereabouts, saying this is all "a
conspiracy to deflect attention away from a letter we wrote asking for the resignation of executors" of Michael Jackson's will.
Five of Michael Jackson's siblings last week said his will was fake and
the executors of his lucrative estate, John McClain and John Blanca,
should step down. Jackson's entire fortune was left to his mother and
three kids.
"They [executors of the will] will not stand down because the siblings
who were left out of Michael's will want them to," said Zia Modabber,
who is the attorney of the Jackson estate.
Howard Mann, Katherine Jackson's
business partner, believed money is pulling the family apart.
"I believe that Katherine and the children who are benefactors of the
estate fall on one side, and then Randy, Jermaine and Rebbie and Tito
fall on the other side," Mann said. "They're a group of people who have a
great deal of questions about the administration of the estate."
Modabber said, "I can't speak for them. I don't know what's motivating
Jermaine and Randy and some of these others, but money is not a bad
guess."
Modabber and Mann faced off in court Monday in a dispute over Mann and Katherine Jackson's selling Michael Jackson merchandise.
"It doesn't matter that it's Howard Mann and he may give some of the
money to his family, to Katherine Jackson or anybody else," Modabber
said. "You can't take property that belongs to the estate, make money
from it, without getting permission from the estate."
Mann's attorney argues the material is and always was owned by Katherine
Jackson and her husband, Joe, and not the late King of Pop.
Michael Jackson's estate is now worth about $1 billion and counting.
ABC News' Sheila Marikar contributed to this report.