Former nanny speaks out against Jackson family saga

Grace Mwaramba issued a statement to Radar Online saying it "breaks my heart" to see Michael's kids, Paris, Prince and Blanket involved in a media frenzy surrounding custody battles and the late singer's estate.

Grace says the highly-publicised family dispute violates the privacy Michael had fought so hard to protect while he was alive, going so far as to make his children wear masks in public.

"Everyone knows that Michael went to great lengths to protect his children from the public eye," she said.

"While the use of veils and masks was unconventional, it only highlights how important this issue was to him. He understood, probably better than anyone, that growing up as a public figure, especially in the entertainment industry can be a disaster."

Grace worked on and off for the Jackson family for over a decade — even after the late singer's tragic death in 2009.

"The recent drama surrounding Michael's mother, Katherine, the ongoing custody issuesand now the public dispute between Paris and Janet is exactly what Michael wanted to protect his children from," she said.

Paris and her brother Prince have been airing details of their family woes on Twitter, with Prince posting screen grabs of emotional text messages from his family.

In her statement, Grace asked the public and media to be fair to the kids despite their dramatic outpourings on the social media site.

"It breaks my heart to think that Paris and her brothers could become the subject of endless criticism for simply being kids," she wrote.

"Michael loved his children very much. He gave them tools that they will need to become good and decent individuals. I am confident that in time Paris and her brothers will learn that their family loves and wants what's best for them. "Until then," she urged, "please take her tweets with a grain of salt.

"No child should have 700,000 followers on Twitter or any other social media platform."

Grace released her statement just hours after it was revealed singer Diana Ross will sign off on a new custody agreement for Michael's kids.

Radar Online claims the agreement will give the children two guardians — grandmother Katherine and cousin TJ Jackson (the son of Michael's brother Tito).

"Diana has no qualms whatsoever about the new custody agreement, she only wants what's best for the kids," a source told the site.

According to Radar, Michael's will nominates the singer, who was a life-long friend, to be appointed guardian of his kids if Katherine is no longer able to provide sufficient care.