Jackson ex-wife 'threatens suit over emails'

Debbie Rowe has threatened to take legal action against Rebecca White for a televised discussion about her personal emails.

Attorneys for Michael Jackson's ex-wife have reportedly asked White to retract statements she made on US entertainment programme Extra, in which she claimed that Rowe discussed the upcoming custody hearing of her and the late singer's children via email.

During the interview, the presenter alleged that Rowe did not want guardianship of 12-year-old Prince Michael and Paris Katherine, 11, and suggested that by asking for custodial rights, she would be seen in a favourable light. Rowe supposedly wrote: "I don't want to look like the woman who gave away her kids."

Her lawyers have since issued a statement to the show, which demands for White to withdraw her comments.

"In response to the media inquiries concerning statements made by Rebecca White during her Extra interview, we can confirm the following: Our firm has sent Ms White a letter disputing the truth of her statements and demanding that she make a retraction in order to avoid legal action," they said.

It was reported earlier that Jackson's mother Katherine paid Rowe to drop her bid to act as the children's caretaker.

However, legal counsel for both parties have refuted the claims as false. The custody hearing will take place on July 20.