Rowe's boss Arnold Klein even weighed in with a cryptic statement on paternity. "To the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children," Klein told ABC News in early July.

Rowe and Jackson may have divorced, but one Nona Paris Lola Ankhesenamun Jackson claims to be the singer's legitimate wife — and filed a case in Los Angeles court five days after the singer's death asking "that all my husband's properties, monies and assets must be transferred to me immediately".

While there is no evidence linking the woman to Jackson, she also claims Jackson's children are hers and that she did not authorise them to live with their grandmother.

Missing child?

Separately, a woman by the name of Billie Jean Jackson — like Jackson's famous hit song 'Bille Jean' — showed up in court claiming an unspecified link to "Blanket" Jackson.

Jean asked the judge to hire a handwriting expert to check Jackson's will for forgeries; asked for the right to visit Blanket every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm; and asked to not to be "arrested" by Katherine Jackson or estate executor John Branca.

Meanwhile, gossip magazines allege that 25-year-old rapper Omer Bhatti is Jackson's love child, conceived in a one-night stand with a Norwegian fan.

Bhatti lived at Neverland ranch for eight years and was with the Jackson family at the singer's funeral. Friends told reporters however that he was a merely Jackson protege, and Bhatti has denied any biological link to the singer.

That hasn't stopped the late singer's estranged father Joe Jackson from claiming that Bhatti was Michael's son.

"Yes, I knew he had another son, yes I did," Joe Jackson told ABC News in a 31 July interview. Bhatti "looks like a Jackson, he can dance like a Jackson," he added, offering no further proof.

Nobel calling

Soon after Jackson's death, a website opened nominating the singer for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for having "given of himself completely and selflessly in a lifelong effort to help better global conditions for children, and all of humankind."

As of Saturday more than 31 000 people had signed the petition — even though Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously.

Some people say they see Jackson's ghost in a CNN documentary filmed at the late star's Neverland estate soon after his death.

Others may be consoled by the Raelian Movement, a group that says Jackson — named a Raelian Honorary Guide in 1992 — probably lives on.

"Considering all the good things Michael did on Earth for peace and love, I'm sure he is alive today on the Elohim's Eternal-Life Planet," group leader Rael said in a 7 July statement.

Raelians believe that all life on Earth was created by human scientists from another planet known as the Elohim, who ancient humans mistook for gods.

Jackson "is among the few humans from Earth to be so cloned, and will return to Earth with the Elohim" when humans will welcome them back, the statement read.