Michael Jackson’s friend, Jason Pfeiffer, has claimed that the late King of Pop confessed to him that British actor Mark Lester fathered his children, Paris and Prince, just months before his death in 2009.

The claims confirm long-standing rumors that have followed the two individuals for many years.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Pfeiffer said that Michael had wanted his former wife, Debbie Rowe, to have no part in the lives of their children, saying that he was “mom and dad” to them.

Pfeiffer stated, “One day as we walked about his children and Debbie Rowe, he just came out and said that his children were actually fathered by Mark.”

“Michael felt Mark was one of his closest friends. He said he was a great actor and a very good man.

“He mentioned that he had taken several people’s sperm and decided on Mark.”

Jackson had two children with Debbie Rowe, while his son Blanket was born to an anonymous surrogate mother.

According to Pfeiffer, Michael made the confession during a visit to Arnold Klein’s medical clinic in Beverly Hills.

Pfeiffer suggested that Jackson made the confession for a reason, as four months later, he died after his doctor, Conrad Murray, reportedly gave him a fatal dose of anesthetic Propofol.

Pfeiffer also hinted that Jackson would have welcomed Lester to have a more active role in his children’s lives.

Lester, who became famous at the age of eight when he played the title role in the film version of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver!, has previously discussed the possibility of being the biological father of Jackson’s children, revealing that he was asked to donate sperm by the late singer.

However, in an interview on the ITV show Lorraine, Lester insisted that even if he was their biological father, it would not change anything.

“As far as I’m concerned, the children are in the best possible place for them,” Lester said.

“Michael was their father, Michael brought those children up, whether or not he was the biological father, he was their father from day one. I can’t see why that situation would change.”

Lester also expressed his love for Paris and her siblings, saying that he would be delighted to have them come and stay with him in the UK.

“If they ever need to come over to the UK, they can come and visit,” he said.

“It would be lovely to see them. The door is always open for them to come.”

Pfeiffer also spoke about Paris’ recent troubles, saying that it was tough for her to be without the main influence in her life at this very challenging time.

“She could always talk to her dad and have his support,” he said.

The Jackson children are expected to be witnesses in a £26 million lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live.

The Jackson family has claimed that the firm, which organized Michael’s 50 farewell gigs in London, ignored fears over his health.

Lester, now an osteopath living in Cheltenham with his second wife Lisa and four children from his first marriage, became good friends with Jackson in London in 1978 when the singer was performing with the Jackson 5.

In 1995, shortly after Lester’s third child was born, Jackson broached the subject of fertility, he said.

“I remember Michael ringing and saying, ‘Oh, you don’t have any fertility difficulties do you?’

“He was half joking so I joked, ‘Oh, I just look at her and she gets pregnant’.

“So then in a light-hearted way, he said, ‘Will you help me out?’

“Initially, I thought he wanted me to do something with his ex-wife Debbie Rowe, and I was thinking, ‘I don’t think so.'”

Pfeiffer mentioned that Michael had his two eldest children with Rowe, but he was not involved in their upbringing.

“Michael had nothing good to say about Debbie,” Pfeiffer said.

“He was mom and dad to those kids. He raised them, and they were his world.”

Pfeiffer also believed that if Jackson knew how his children’s lives would end up, he would approve of Lester having a more active role in their lives.

Lester, who was also one of Jackson’s closest friends, has been loyal to him for years and has his own teenage children.

Meanwhile, the Jackson children have grown up in the public eye and have faced their share of struggles.

Paris attempted suicide in 2013, and in March 2019, she was hospitalized following a suicide attempt.

Prince has remained relatively private, while Blanket, 19, has largely stayed out of the spotlight.

The claims made by Pfeiffer have reopened speculation about the true parentage of Jackson’s children, but it is unlikely that the truth will ever be confirmed or denied.

Jackson was famously private about his personal life, and it is unclear why he would have chosen to confide in Pfeiffer about such a sensitive issue.

Despite the rumors, the Jackson family has maintained that Michael is the biological father of his children.

In a statement released shortly after his death, the family said, “Michael was the father of his three children, and that was that.”

It is worth noting that the issue of parentage is not just a matter of genetics but also of emotional connection and upbringing.

As Lester himself said, “Michael was their father, Michael brought those children up, whether or not he was the biological father, he was their father from day one.”

Regardless of who the biological father may be, it is clear that Michael Jackson loved his children deeply and did his best to raise them in a challenging environment.

As his friend Pfeiffer said, “Michael was a very loving father. He was very protective of his children and wanted them to have the best life possible.”