Michael Jackson spent some more time away from the rehearsal studio for his upcoming 50 date concert residency at the O2 Arena in London, England (which gets underway in just a little over a month from now) to take his children — unmasked — to a recording studio in SoCal this week. Jacko, with only Prince Michael Joseph and Paris Michael Katherine in tow (Prince Michael Joseph II was not allowed to come along presumably because he got to go to the medical center with Jacko by himself earlier this week), did force his kids to wear masks for part of the day …

… but eventually allowed his kiddies to show their faces, completely unmasked:

Since Michael Jackson’s children were first unveiled from their masked existence a year ago, they haven’t been seen since without their face covered. But yesterday Prince Michael I, 12, and Paris Michael, 11, were seen enjoying the fresh air with their faces revealed to the world as they joined their famous father at a Los Angeles recording studio. Not realising they could be seen from the street, Prince and Paris looked like regular pre-teens as they strolled through the car park. It was only when they left the studio two hours later, they were wearing masks again. Also joining the Jacksons at the building was High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, who is creative director of the star’s This Is It UK tour. Michael has been hard at work in recent weeks preparing for his 50-date residency at London’s O2 Arena, which kicks off on July 13. He recently upset fans when he postponed the first four dates by a week, meaning many are frantically trying to rearrange travel plans. The Thriller singer has kept his children’s lives shrouded in mystery since he first became a father in 1997. As well as fathering Prince and Paris with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, Michael also has a seven-year-old Prince Michael II, aka Blanket. While the physical similarities between the elder Prince and Paris is striking, Blanket is much darker than his older siblings in skin tone and hair colour. Blanket was the child famously dangled off a hotel balcony in Germany in November 2002. In an interview last year, former nurse Debbie insisted it was her choice to have the children’s faces covered. She said: “The veils were my idea, not Michael’s. I had kidnap threats when they were babies. I did not want them to be recognised.” Despite widespread belief the children are not biologically his, Michael insists he is the father of all three. During his infamous 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, he said: “I used a surrogate mother (for Blanket) and my own sperm cells. I had my own sperm cells in my other two children. They are all my children but I used a surrogate mother and she doesn’t know me, I don’t know her.” Debbie reiterated in 2008: “Of course it was artificial insemination. Paris was conceived in Paris, that’s how she got her name. I turned out two pretty good-looking kids. For that I am proud.”

Previously, we’ve gotten to see glimpses of the children’s faces sans masks but these new photos how the clearest view of what Michael Jackson’s eldest children look like when they are not waring Mardi Gras feather masks. After the jump, check ‘em out …

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Last week Michael Jackson stepped out with his children — Prince Michael Joseph, Paris Michael Katherine and Prince Michael Joseph II — for a shopping excursion in Beverly Hills, CA where the self-proclaimed King of Pop ventured out in public unmasked in an effort to show the world that he is not hiding skin cancer underneath his trademark surgical mask. This past weekend, the mask was back on as Jacko took his kiddies to the Farmer’s Market at The Grove for a lunch spectacle. As the family was driving away in their car, tho, Jackson’s only daughter Paris waved to the photogs while unmasked!

It’s very rare that the children are allowed to be seen in public without their masks on (Jacko claims the children are required to wear masks to foil would-be kidnappers) so this is a rare look at what his children look like … and, it must be said, they look nothing like him — at all. I don’t understand how anyone can seriously believe that he fathered these children. I’m sure that they are all legally his children but there are absolutely no genetic markers that seem to even hint that he fathered any of these kids. Perhaps that is the real reason the children must be masked at all times? What a strange, strange family. I’m still having a hard time envisioning what Jacko’s big stage concert will look like this Summer. As I mentioned before, David is a HUGE MJ fan and we are going to London to see Jacko perform in September. I’m dying to see if he can really pull off 50 shows at the O2 Arena. I guess we shall soon see.

[Photo credit: X17]

Michael Jackson, who has been holed up in a studio in Burbank, CA for the last few weeks working on rehearsals for his upcoming 50-date residency at the O2 Arena in London, England later on this year, stepped out for a bit of shopping with his masked children — Prince Michael Joseph, Paris Michael Katherine and Prince Michael Joseph, II — in Beverly Hills, CA yesterday unmasked … perhaps in an attempt to prove to the world that he is not suffering from skin cancer as one British report alleges. Additionally, according to TMZ, MJ spent part of his afternoon yesterday dealing with a little matter of a new lawsuit that may hinder his upcoming UK concert stint … just another Friday for the so-called King of Pop:

We’ve learned there was a secret meeting yesterday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Michael Jackson made it clear — he will not perform with Janet and the Jackson 5; and the dude who organized the concert tour tells us he will sue them. As we first reported, Jacko’s manager signed a deal on behalf of M.J. to perform with his sis and bros at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2010. Part of the deal — that he not sign any other concert deal for 18 months. But then Jacko went and signed up for his London concerts which are scheduled to begin in July. The company that organized the family concert — AllGood Entertainment — got Michael, daddy Joe Jackson and several others in a room yesterday at the Bev Hills Hotel. Joe tried to convince Michael that the family tour should go on, but Michael wouldn’t budge because it would have aired on pay-per-view and M.J. said he doesn’t like pay-per-view! The meeting was heated and no one agreed to anything. Patrick Alloco of AllGood tells us he’s going to sue Jackson and his family next week.

It’s a shame that MJ is vehemently fighting his contractual commitment to perform with his brothers and sister in concert cuz THAT would be a kickass show. But, I’m fairly certain, this impending lawsuit will do nothing to halt his 50-date stint at the O2 Arena. There is no way the promoters of the O2 shows are gonna let anything keep him from getting on that stage when the stint kicks off in July. Michael Jackson sold 1 million tickets in just 4 days … that’s a lot of money. I’m pretty sure that if this lawsuit becomes a real problem, there will be a paid settlement to make it go away. Additionally, I think it’s a very good idea that Jacko keep being seen in public without wearing a mask. The time is drawing very nigh when he’s gonna have to be on stage performing in front of thousands of people on almost a nightly basis. It’s almost time for him to show what he’s got. I can’t wait to see for myself if he is still all that.

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Now that everyone is worried about contracting the swine flu from going out in public it’s not too surprising to see folks wearing surgical masks these days … so mebbe Michael Jackson thought it would be the perfect opportunity to don is fave mask and take his children — Prince Michael Jackson, Paris Michael Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson, II a.k.a. Blanket — out for a shopping excursion on Melrose Ave. yesterday. Perhaps he thought he might be able to avoid detection by blending it with the other masked shoppers … and he almost got away with it if it weren’t for those fancy red pants he was wearing. Here are a few pics:

Michael Jackson caused a stir in West Hollywood yesterday as he took his three children on a shopping spree. The eccentric pop star enjoyed a chaotic visit to the Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier store with seven-year-old Prince Michael II (known as Blanket), 11-year-old Paris and 12-year-old Prince Michael in tow. The 50-year-old’s children donned school uniforms for the trip and kept their faces covered up with flamboyant carnival masks as they shopped inside. Jackson also opted for the school look and sported a green blazer and red baggy trousers with his trademark surgical mask. After spending over an hour inside the store, the group left the premises while an aide carried their numerous purchases. It was a rare public family outing for the Jackson clan. The star has gone to great lengths to ensure that his children are protected from the media glare and the youngsters’ faces have only been pictured once. Jackson has been locked away in recent months as he rehearses for his 50-night comeback tour at London’s O2 arena this summer.

I always thought it was counterproductive for Jacko to insist that his children wear masks when they go out in public. As I understand it, Jacko wants his kids to wear disguises so that they won’t be targeted by kidnappers. It seems to me that if someone wanted to kidnap his children, they’d know exactly which kids to target … the only kids wearing brightly feathered masks. If you look closely at the insignias on the uniform jackets the kids are wearing, it appears that the logo is an MJ crest of some sort. Clearly, these children are getting the best education possible at the Michael Jackson School of Scholastics. It is so hard not to feel bad for these kids … I cannot even imagine how odd their lives must be.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Here are a few more photos of Michael Jackson and his children — Prince Michael, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II — lookin’ their Halloween best with new masks as they made their way en masse to Borders bookstore in Westwood, CA last night:

You may recall that yesterday we saw that Jacko and the kiddies got a jump-start on their Halloween celebrations this year by doing a bit of trick-or-treating early. Personally, I like these masks much better than their previous masks. I mean, it’s all still very much WTF? but I guess the semi-daily sightings are making them seem more normal? It is Halloween, after all, so … what the hell.

Oh and about that reported Jackson 5 reunion that Jermaine Jackson promised would come in 2009? Yeah, Michael Jackson says that ain’t happening:

Jermaine Jackson made headlines earlier this week, when he hinted that the original members of the Jackson 5 were ready for a comeback album and tour. Alas, Michael Jackson quickly debunked the reunion talk. “My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we’ve certainly shared many great experiences,” the King of Pop said in a statement released by his rep, identified as “Dr. Tohme.” “But at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them. I am now in the studio developing new and exciting projects that I look forward to sharing with my fans in concert soon,” he continued. Jackson has been “in L.A. working … and meeting with people like will.i.am,” confirmed one music source, adding, “From what I hear, it’s going really well.”

Of course, none of this surprises me in the least. It seems absolutely impossible for this group of unstable (to say the least) family members to coordinate in any real way that would make a reunion possible. Michael Jackson seems happily ensconced in his own little dream world, flitting about from book store to book store with his costumed children to care at all about working with his family again. We’ve been hearing about these “new projects” for months … years. I’d be shocked if any of the work he’s been reportedly doing with Will.i.am will actually get released. We’ve also heard that Las Vegas big wigs are trying to woo Jacko into undertaking his own Vegas show … I highly doubt that will ever come to be either. I’m sorry, I just have a real hard time believing that Michael Jackson is functionally capable of becoming a performer again. Nothing that I’ve seen or heard from him in the past 10+ years leads me to believe that he is able to reclaim his pretend title as the King of Pop. Altho a bit sad, IMHO, at least he seems happy in his new life with his children. At long last he has a group of kids who he can play with and no outside force can come in and ruin that relationship. Of course, his kids are growing up fast … he better enjoy the playtime while he still can.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]

Halloween isn’t until tomorrow (Happy Devils’ Night Day, BTW) but it looks like Michael Jackson’s kids Prince Michael, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II have already begun their Halloween celebrations. Jacko took his kiddies out on the streets of Hollywood, CA last night to do some early trick-or-treating … unfortch, no one was available to hand out any candy — so they just looked freaky for nothing. Here are pics of Jackson and his three children last night:

I know it’s de rigueur for the Jackson clan to venture out in public wearing interesting masks to cover their faces but the kiddies have been allowed to actually show their faces in recent months so it’s a bit odd to see them all covered up again. It don’t even matter that we’re so close to Halloween … anything these poor kids do in association with their father is strange. It’s so sad how creepy they all seem. I really do feel sorry for these kids.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]

Michael Jackson and his three children, Prince Michael, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, have surfaced this week here in the SoCal area and were spotted at The Golden Apple comic book store in LA. Even tho Halloween is still a couple of weeks away, Jackson and his kids still decided to don their masks of choice for the shopping excursion … much to the bewilderment of the other patrons of the store:

Not for the first time, Michael Jackson sent jaws dropping during a outing in Los Angeles. The singer took his three children – Prince Michael, 11, Paris, ten, and Prince Michael II, six – shopping this week dressed as masked Halloween characters. And never one to be left out, Jackson looked scarier than ever in a surgical mask, giant black sunglasses and a hooded jumper. The family, who are rarely seen in public, browsed a comic book store together after slipping in through a back door. When Jackson turned 50 in August he said he likes nothing more than spending time with his children. “I’m raising my children and enjoying it and teaching them to ride bicycles and how to read. I love it.” The former child star also said his kids are enjoying freedom he never had at their age. I let them go to the arcade and go to the movies and do things. I want them to get to do the kind of things I didn’t get to do,” he added. The children removed their masked once inside the store, giving onlookers a rare glimpse at their faces. Prince Michael wore cream shorts, white trainers and a black hooded jacket on the outing while sister Paris wore a red jumper, shirt and black trousers … Jackson’s third child Prince Michael II [wore] long black hair, green pyjamas and a dark coat.

I’m sorry but this entire family is creepy, y’all. I mean … they just seem really out there. The last time we saw Jacko and his kids out in public was back in July when they surfaced at a bookstore in Las Vegas, NV (you may recall that Michael Jackson was in a wheelchair at the time, good to see he’s able to walk on his own two feet these days). I’m constantly flummoxed by everything I see from Michael Jackson and his kids … it’s hard to remember the man at the height of his glory. He is so incredibly odd now. I cannot imagine what life must be like for these children. I just hope they are happy. I mean … yeah. Wow.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]