Norwegian man, 25, says he’s Jackson’s son
This photo of Omer Bhatti sitting with Michael Jackson's family at the memorial service is fueling speculation that he's Michael Jackson's 25-year-old son.
In yet another strange turn of events involving Michael Jackson, Omer Bhatti is undergoing DNA testing to prove whether he is Michael Jackson’s 25-year-old son.
It’s easy to be skeptical after all the hoaxes and scams that have played out as people tried to get a piece of the Jackson fortune. However, a few interesting tidbits make the story that he’s Michael Jackson’s 25-year-old son seem like maybe this isn’t just another “need cash fast” scheme.
Exhibit A
At Jackson’s funeral, which reportedly cost in the neighborhood of $2 million, Omer Bhatti sat in the front row, right next to Jackson’s immediate family members. Furthermore, when Jermaine Jackson was questioned about the possibility that Omer is Michael’s son, he didn’t deny the possibility.
The rumor in question is whether Omer is Michael Jackson’s 25-year-old son as the result of a one-night stand between Michael and his mother, Pia, in 1984. However, “a Jackson insider” told the Telegraph that “these people did not exist in Michael’s life before 1996.”
Timeline
Reports confirm that Michael met Omer Bhatti in a Tunisian hotel room in 1996. At the time, Omer was simply labeled as a super fan who performed as a Michael Jackson impersonator.
The story goes that the next year, Michael invited Omer and his family to live at Neverland Ranch. His mother worked at Neverland as a nanny, while father, Riz, worked as a chauffer for Michael Jackson. The Telegraph reports, regarding Omer Bhatti:
His existence first became public in 2003 when US TV show Dateline broadcast a 1998 home video of him receiving gifts from Jackson.
A Fox News report in 2004 claimed Jackson had been telling his friends he was the father, but they were unsure whether or not to believe him. …
In 2003, Mr Bhatti was photographed visiting Jackson … in Colorado. He was also in his Neverland ranch when it was raided by police during the child molestation investigation in the same year.
My best guess
I think it’s very possible that Michael Jackson did see himself as a father figure to Omer Bhatti. He lived in his home, after all. That explains why Omer would be sitting with Michael’s siblings and children and treated like one of the family.
Whether he is biologically a Jackson is a little more questionable. However, thanks to modern science we’ll be able to find out soon enough. It’s tough to say whether Omer will end up with a piece of the Jackson estate. He’s not mentioned in the will. My guess is that Omer was treated as one of the family but that he is not biologically Michael’s son.
Buying into the fantasy
I can’t help but wonder why Omer waited until after Jackson’s death to get the paternity test done. His mother has not commented on the paternity issue. I can’t help but think that perhaps Pia made up the one-night-stand story after Jackson was no longer around to deny it. Jackson’s friendship with the Bhatti family and the fact that he “kind of adopted” Omer have been public knowledge for years.
Nonetheless, Omer at least believes there is a possibility that Michael Jackson is his father. This thinking is encouraged by tabloids that say there’s a resemblance between Omer and Michael as well as Omer and Blanket. It might just be a career move, however. Omer is trying to get a rapping career off the ground, and claiming to be Michael Jackson’s 25-year-old son is an excellent way to get attention.
