Jermaine calls for an end to family feud

Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine has called for an end to the Jackson family feud over the late pop star's estate.

"After much soul-searching, it is clearly time for us to live by Michael's words about love not war," wrote Jermaine, in a statement.

Jermaine also withdrew his support for a leaked letter which calls on executors of the estate to resign.

Last week saw his mother, Katherine, lose guardianship of Michael's children amid reports she was missing.

Michael's siblings, Jermaine, Randy and Janet, are understood to have driven to the Jackson home and insisted they leave with Michael's three children.

Police were called following a "minor scuffle".

"Mistakes have been made and irrational things have been said on both sides in a highly charged emotional environment," Jermaine Jackson wrote in his statement.

"It is time for us all to draw a line in the sand and move towards peace, co-operation, love and healing."

'Mutual suspicions'

Katherine Jackson was on a 10-day spa trip to Arizona, when speculation arose about her whereabouts and her health.

Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14, and 10-year-old Prince Michael II (also called Blanket) have lived with the singer's mother since his death in 2009.

Lawyers for the estate this week confirmed a number of unnamed relatives have been barred from visiting the Jackson family home.

Writing in his statement about the confrontation at the Jackson family home on 23 July, Jermaine said "it was clear that mutual suspicions had allowed events to spiral out of control".

"I regret that events were ever allowed to reach such a stage," he wrote. "I regret any distress caused to Prince, Paris and Blanket. That was never, ever the intention of myself, Janet, Rebbie or Randy."

Katherine Jackson Katherine Jackson was temporarily replaced as guardian while away on a trip to Arizona

Last week a US judge transferred temporary guardianship to the late singer's nephew TJ, son of Tito Jackson.

On Thursday, Ms Jackson's lawyer is returning to court to present an agreement to restore his client as guardian.

The new agreement would also call for TJ Jackson to remain a co-guardian, with control over the staff and day-to-day operations of the family home.

Perry Sanders Jr., Katherine Jackson's lawyer, has said the arrangement will allow his client to focus on the children's upbringing and not on financial or logistics issues.

The co-guardianship arrangement would also allow either Katherine Jackson, 82, or TJ Jackson, 34, to serve as sole guardian if the other were no longer able to serve.

Michael Jackson's will left nothing to his siblings when he died aged 50 of an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol in June 2009.

'Overwhelmed'

Janet, Randy, Jermaine and Rebbie are all understood to have signed a letter, which was leaked to the press, alleging the will was a fake and calling on executors of the estate to resign.

The letter states the family was too overwhelmed at the time of the singer's death to meaningfully challenge the will that gave only Katherine Jackson and Michael's three children a stake in the estate.

The estate has denied the accusations, saying they are "saddened" by "false and defamatory accusations".

Any legal challenge to the will should have been filed within four months of the will's acceptance in November 2009.

-BBC