Inside Debbie Rowe's 'normal' life almost 30 years after Michael Jackson divorce
Topics: Celebrity, Life, Michael Jackson, Nostalgia
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Life, Michael Jackson, Nostalgia
Michael Jackson's second wife Debbie Rowe is living a totally different life after divorcing the 'King of Pop' in 1999 - finally finding her 'safe place' along the way.
Jackson's marriage to Rowe remains one of the most talked-about chapters of his extraordinary life, despite lasting less than three years.
Following their 1999 divorce, the mom-of-two agreed that Jackson could have primary custody of their children, Paris and Prince, and chose to have her parental rights terminated by a private judge.
Talking about her pregnancies during the 2001 custody proceedings, Rowe stated: "I did it for him to become a father, not for me to become a mother."
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After relinquishing her rights, she received an $8 million settlement and a Beverly Hills home, but the 67-year-old now lives a life distant from the spotlight.
Rowe now reportedly resides on a ranch in Palmdale, California, with her partner and music producer, Marc Schaffel.
And this is where she has been able to pursue her longtime dream of working with horses.
Speaking with the New York Post, Heidi Allyn, of the LA Equestrian Center in Burbank, said: "She works with some of the best trainers in the country.
"She keeps herself to herself, but is very nice and normal. She is very pleasant to everyone she meets."
The 67-year-old was most recently pictured at a local bank in Palmdale while running errands just weeks ago.
Photos showed her wearing a casual T-shirt, flared jeans, moccasins, and a luxury watch, in one of very few public appearances since the early 2000s.
Following her split from the international star, Rowe agreed not to talk about Jackson or their children in public.
And she seemingly had no relationship with them until 2013, following the death of their dad.
She further bonded with Paris after her 2016 breast cancer diagnosis, when she regularly appeared on the 28-year-old's Instagram.
After she had completed her course of chemotherapy, Paris wrote: "My badass mom, kickin butt n takin names. Ain’t she f**king fabulous."
Rowe also told Entertainment Tonight: "She's been with me the whole time ... I can't tell you how much I love her."
Most recently, Paris shared a photo of her mom on her Instagram Stories to celebrate Mother's Day just months ago.
However, it's unclear if Rowe has any kind of relationship with Prince, who was recently credited as an executive producer on the highly successful 2026 biographical film about the life of his father, titled Michael.
In 2025, he announced his engagement to his girlfriend of eight years, Molly Schirmang.
Writing on Instagram, he said: "Molly and I have spent a lot of time together and made incredible memories. We’ve traveled the world, graduated, and grown so much together."