Jacko's Mysterious Nanny Returns

Amid speculation over custody of Michael Jackson’s children, the one constant presence in their lives has re-emerged: Nanny Grace Rwaramba has resumed child-care duties at the Jackson compound, a source tells Time, and she may become a permanent fixture. “Grace was like the mother, and Michael was the father,” says a friend. “The only person I saw get close to the kids besides Michael was Grace.”

Mystery surrounds Rwaramba, whom one source called “the most powerful nanny in the universe. She was the gatekeeper for Michael, and she wielded that power.” But “that’s not the Grace I know. Unless she has this other secret life,” says another. Rwaramba was allegedly fired in 2008, but many welcome her return to the children: “It’s important they have some continuity,” says their godfather. (More Grace Rwaramba stories.)