LONDON - The astonishing new pictures showing Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe affectionately hugging and cuddling their two kids Prince and baby Paris can dramatically turn around the custody battle.

The ‘happy family’ pictures could challenge the claims depicting her as the disaffectionate surrogate and rattle reports that she never even visited the children.

Former nurse Rowe was earlier reported to have said that she wants her kids back, however, her lawyer said she still hasn’t taken the final decision yet.

The photos - taken in a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills about two weeks after Paris was born in April, 1998 - capture the first moment Rowe held her daughter for the very first time.

According to the photographer, Jacko had taken the tot away from the hospital moments after Rowe gave birth.

“Debbie couldn’t wait to cradle Paris in her arms and Michael was happy to let her,” the News of the World quoted the photographer as saying.

“It wasn’t like he was giving her instructions and a list of what she could and couldn’t do. Debbie was a natural mum from the off. She was talking to the baby saying stuff like, ‘Hello Paris. I’m your mom!’

“In fact, she didn’t want to put the little thing down, holding her as she was walking around the room and sitting down with her on a sofa. She wasn’t just holding her for the photographs.

“At one point she was gently rocking Paris in her arms and humming a lullaby to her. It was a very special mother-and-baby moment. Paris was asleep in her mother’s arms and looked very contented.

“It was obvious that Debbie loved her children and there was a strong connection between them. It looked like she was treasuring every second, laughing, kissing and playing with them for about two hours.

A second similar set of photographs was taken a few weeks later when Debbie visited her children at his Neverland ranch.

“Debbie was just as happy and relaxed at the second photoshoot. People may think she was an emotionally cold and uncaring woman to be able to walk away from her children.

“But if you saw her with them you’d realise there was much more to it than that,” the photographer added. (ANI)