I really can’t think of anything I’d consider too strange to be legitimate when it comes to Michael Jackson. In fact since his passing we’ve gotten a lot of explanations for some of his bizarre behavior – but many of the people who surrounded him are still giant question marks. One of the biggest is Dr. Arnold Klein. It’s been rumored off and on that he’s the biological father of Michael’s oldest two children, Prince Michael and Paris. In fact there have been so many rumors about the children’s genetic parentage that I don’t think the general public has any clue who’s related to the kids and how. Arnold issued a non-denial denial a while ago, so he still might be the kids’ father. That’s one of those sentences that’s not a question but I feel I should end it with a question mark, because the whole thing is so strange.

To further add to Klein’s confusing relationship to Prince and Paris, he’s become super involved in their custody case for a guy that was just their dad’s dermatologist.

Why does Michael Jackson’s dermatologist want a say in how the King of Pop’s kids are raised? Acting on behalf of Dr. Arnold Klein, attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan made a surprise appearance in court today to express his client’s concern for the “education, health care and welfare” of Jackson’s two eldest children, Prince Michael and Paris.

Not that Klein, who still has never flat-out denied that he is the biological father of those kids, thinks that their grandmother Katherine Jackson shouldn’t be taking care of them. Klein is merely “acting on promises he made to Michael with respect to ensuring the long-term health and stability of the children and their ability to enjoy as normal of a life out of the spotlight as could be reasonably possible,” Kaplan and cocounsel Bradley P. Boyer said in a statement Monday night.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, who earlier today awarded Katherine Jackson custody of her three grandchildren and agreed to visitation rights for Paris and Prince’s biological mother (and Klein’s former assistant), Debbie Rowe, said that Klein had no standing to challenge his decision at this time.

But, the judge said, Klein can file court papers pertaining to his guardianship concerns, and his legal camp says they plan to do just that on Sept. 1. “Dr. Klein has always had a special relationship with Paris Katherine and Prince Michael, loves and cares deeply for these children and is looking out for their best interest,” Boyer and Kaplan said. “Dr. Klein has been involved with the children in sharing holidays and other special events and wishes to have the ability to continue his involvement as a very close friend of their father and offers his guidance and protection forever.”

So Kaplan and Boyer have deftly managed to explain without really telling us anything. How legal of them.

[From E! News]

It does seem like Jackson and Klein had a non-traditional doctor/patient relationship. We don’t know enough to say if it was unethical. Hypothetically, if Klein did donate the sperm that was used to inseminate Debbie Rowe, would that be a violation of medical ethics? It certainly seems like it would mean crossing several lines in the distance a doctor should keep. Yet it also seems like Klein had true compassion for Jackson – when he was describing the immense pain Michael endured due to his scalp burn, he did so in very empathic terms. He also spoke about Paris and Prince in glowing terms, and told Larry King, “If I was the parent, I would spend every moment of the day with the children.”

It seems like they had a friendship beyond their professional relationship. Does that mean Klein is the father of Paris and Prince? Not necessarily, though nothing has completely ruled it out. He could also just be a very close family friend. Obviously Klein’s lawyers statements certainly raise an eyebrow… and frankly when it comes to who conceived Jackson’s kids, I’ve run out of eyebrows to raise. Perhaps Klein himself isn’t sure if he’s their dad, and is saying so many ambivalent things while he tries to find out.