I love how AOL News reported the latest on Debbie Rowe – M.J.’s ex-wife (1996-1999) and ex-nurse (he met her in a dermatologist office where she was a nurse) – as being “back in the spotlight.”

My question: when did the ex-Mrs. King of Pop, and more importantly, the mother of two of Jackson’s children, ever leave the spotlight? With M.J. dead, questions regarding custody of Jackson’s three children are flying high. I think that makes Ms. Rowe pretty spotlight worthy, at least at the moment.

According to the article on AOL News, Rowe popped out of her shell, rather, busted out of her shell on Sunday when leaving a restaurant in Lancaster, Calif. Rowe recoiled from questions and prodding about the custody of the Jackson kiddies from a reporter who repeatedly asked her “Are you ready to fight for your children?”

Rowe lashed back with an anything but meek response, “Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don’t f—-in’ touch me!”

Gotta love it. At least the woman’s keeping this Jackson story interesting. I was beginning to get sick of the local radio stations playing his music more often than they used to, and the TV news every five seconds posting a picture or two of the recently deceased pop king.

As of last week, we weren’t really sure whether Rowe was going to step up to the plate and fight for her children, at least the two that are biologically hers: Michael Joseph Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11. I think now, after that little feisty display at the California restaurant, we know where Rowe stands, and if I inferred the context and tone correctly, that stance is pretty firm.

Let me not forget to mention that Rowe’s planning on getting a restraining order against M.J.’s father, Joe Jackson. I guess “pretty firm” was a bit understated.

Rowe told an NBCLA reporter last week, as AOL reported, “I am stepping up. I have to.”

Well, we all know she doesn’t absolutely have to. Sure, she’s the biological mother to two of the little Jackson’s, and we all know how deep a mother’s love runs, but the children could easily be supported by Michael’s parents and siblings. God knows they have the money to do it. Not to mention, what about splitting them up? Only two have biological ties to Rowe. Where would that leave Prince Michael II?

Apparently, Rowe’s planning on fighting for all three. Unless the judge is sympathetic to my last query and sympathetic to Rowe herself, I doubt she’ll get Prince Michael II, too.

As various news reports have said, Rowe, who is now 50, gave up her parental rights in her divorce from Jackson in 1999. No one heard her crying (or cussing at reporters outside of restaurants) then. I guess that nice $8.5 million settlement she received back in 2000 when the divorce became final shut her up pretty good. And AOL reports is wasn’t even six months later that she stopped visiting the children.

Tsk, tsk, tsk Ms. Rowe. Sounds like a big publicity deal to me. How can a mother want to see her children and suddenly not? Did Michael pay her off for the whole thing? We can’t forget to remember to the whole “Jackson is not the biological father” thing.

And what about that interview Rowe did with Fox back in 2003 when she admitted that the children don’t even think of her as their mother. She said her whole goal in giving birth to them was to give M.J. the chance at being a father. “I believe there are people who should be parents,” she said, “and he’s one of them.”

So Rowe takes several million dollars from Michael, ditches the kids, tells a reporter in an interview that she basically only had Jackson’s children because she wanted to make him a father, and now, all of a sudden, she wants to take them back. Something’s just not adding up here.

M.J.’s 2002 will specifically requests that his mother be named guardian of the children, and goes even further to state (more or less) that Rowe should not receive a dime in inheritance. “I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Jean Rowe Jackson,” Jackson’s will states.

A custody hearing has been set for July 13 to determine whether Jackson’s mommy will remain in custody of Jackson’s children…one, two, or all three.