Another scandal erupted immediately, however; it involved the presence of apparently anti-Semitic lyrics on the song "They Don't Care About Us." Steven Spielberg, superstar filmmaker and stalwart defender of Jackson during his earlier travails, publicly criticized the lyrics, as did many other individuals and groups. Jackson announced that he harbored no prejudice toward anyone, though his remark that "my lawyers are Jewish" scarcely banished all doubt. A smaller ripple came from the revelation that Lisa Marie's two children from her previous marriage were unhappy living at Neverland. The couple would divorce amicably in 1996. Later that same year, Jackson announced that Deborah Rowe, an assistant to his dermatologist, was pregnant with his child. The couple were married in Australia soon after his announcement, and Rowe subsequently gave birth to a son, Prince Michael Jackson Jr. A daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, was born in the spring of 1998. Jackson and Rowe announced their intention to divorce in the fall of 1999. In 2002, under a veil of secrecy, a second son named Prince Michael II was added to the brood. The child's mother remains unnamed

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, a combination of some new and some remixed material. His first new studio album in six years, titled Invincible, hit stores in October of 2001. The albums relatively poor performance -- by July 2002 it had sold only 4 million copies worldwide -- led Jackson to publicly criticize Sony Music, which he claimed failed to properly promote his work. Jackson went further, claiming his treatment was indicative of racism and black exploitation in the music industry. He enlisted the aid of controversial activist Al Sharpton to forge a campaign against supposed mistreatment. In February 2003, Britain's ITV network broadcast the first-ever documentary about the controversial pop king called Living with Michael Jackson. ABC purchased the rights to broadcast the interview to American audiences on 20/20, though Jackson claimed it to be "a gross distortion of the truth."

Even when beset by rumor and scandal—and such has been his situation for much of his career—Michael Jackson has masterfully translated adversity into greater fame. While many argue that his work has been uneven, his contribution to modern pop has been enormous. Indeed, Jackson redefined stardom for the video era, and popular culture would never be the same.