Of all of Michael Jackson’s children, Prince Michael “Blanket” Jackson tends to keep the lowest profile.
Part of the reason, of course, is his age.
Blanket is only 15 and still in high school, which means that while his older siblings are embarking on careers in the media, is attending high school classes.
Obviously, as a result of being the youngest son of one of the most famous musicians of all-time, Blanket’s childhood has been far from typical.
But it’s not just the boy’s wealth and fame that set him apart from his peers.
For one thing, Blanket’s life has been marred by tragedy and instability.
Following his father’s death, Blanket’s family situation was thrown into complete disarray, with various relatives sharing guardianship duties.
Until recently, Katherine Jackson was Blanket’s primary legal guardian.
However, her advanced age and hectic travel schedule (Katherine is 87 and spends much of the year in London), she was often forced to hand off duties to other relatives.
The family generally does a pretty good job of shielding press-shy Blanket from publicity, but this week, several media outlets reported that Katherine has surrendered her guardianship duties.
According to E! News, Katherine has essentially retired from caring for Blanket, fearing that she’s no longer up to the task.
Other adults in the family co-signed, explaining to the court that Katherine is “no longer needed to fulfill the duties.”
News of the legal developments sparked fears for Blanket’s safety amongst fans.
Even when Katherine was the primary legal guardian, childcare duties were often divided amongst several realtives, with Blanket’s Aunt Rebbie and Uncle T.J. assuming the bulk of the responsibilities.
Unfortunately, there were gaps in the division of labor, and sources say Blanket often spent the night alone or was unable to get to school in the morning due to scheduling confusion.
With Kathering removing herself from the situation, there were concerns that Blanket would be on his own even more than usual.
Fortunately, it seems his older relatives have been able to reach an agreement, and E! is now reporting that at Katherine’s request, T.J. will take over as Blanket’s primary caretaker.
“[Katherine] feels that TJ is able to assume all necessary responsibilities of the guardianship,” one court document reads.
Obviously, at 15, Blanket is probably able to care for himself for the most part.
But fans on social media are still expressing their gratitude that the boy may be able to experience a modicum of stability during the last few years of his childhood.