MEANWHILE, the future of Michael Jackson's children was thrown into question on Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to raise her two offspring.

It was the first legal move from Ms Deborah Rowe since the entertainer's death. Jackson's will asks for his 79-year-old mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of his three.

Ms Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterised their relationship as strictly for the purpose of giving birth to Jackson's children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received US$8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, was conceived with an unidentified surrogate.

Ms Rowe has spent little time with her son Michael Joseph Jr, known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Ms Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson getting custody of her children when it came up in the past.

Ms Rowe's attorney, Mr Eric M. George, said his client had not decided whether to seek custody.

A guardianship hearing was set for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Ms Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, who has temporary guardianship of her son's children.

In other developments: - A 30-second snippet of Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London two days before his death was released on Thursday. The rehearsal footage, shot in high definition, includes Jackson performing his hits Thriller and Beat It. His voice is strong and he appears in perfect health. Other footage shows production meetings and auditions.

- A court hearing was scheduled for Monday to deal with who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. A person familiar with the details of the trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 per cent, his three children, who together get 40 per cent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 per cent. The charities will be determined later by the trust. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

- Authorities were investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration and California Attorney General Jerry Brown both were helping Los Angeles police investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death. -- AP