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Katherine Jackson says guardian ruling ‘based on a bunch of lies’

A Los Angeles judge appointed Tito Jackson’s son temporary guardian of Michael Jackson’s three kids, in the latest wild turn of this on-going family drama.

Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson, MJ’s 34-year-old nephew and son of Tito Jackson, will now take over as guardian from family matriarch Katherine Jackson, according to a ruling by LA Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff.

But Katherine blasted the ruling, saying it was “based on a bunch of lies.”

“I am devastated that while I’ve been away, my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I’m coming home,” Katherine Jackson told ABC News.

“There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped,” the 82-year-old said.

“I am here today to let everybody to know that I am good and fine. My children would never do anything to me like that.”

TJ Jackson said he only wants to be in charge temporarily, until Katherine comes home from a mysterious Arizona vacation.

Judge Beckloff said there’s no evidence that Katherine has shirked her job as guardian. But he made vague-but-ominous reference to “intentional acts of third parties” impeding Katherine.

The judge didn’t elaborate.

Beckloff also notified potential guardians, music legend Diana Ross and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of the eldest Jackson children, that they may need to take care of the kids.

Ross was named as a backup guardian in Jacko’s 2002 will.

TJ claims he spoke with Katherine yesterday, but she didn’t sound like her usual self — using words she had never before used, and with a slurred voice.

“I’ve never heard my grandmother talk like that,” he told the court. “In every way. The sound in her voice. The pauses.”

Outside court, Katherine Jackson’s lawyer Perry Sanders said Katherine had been in a Tucson, Ariz., spa that doesn’t allow phone service. Katherine apparently has no knowledge of the wild drama, in the wake of her absence, back home.

Sanders said he traveled to Tucson last night to check on Katherine. He met Katherine’s children, Janet and Jermaine Jackson, at the spa and was told the family matriarch is OK.

The lawyer wasn’t allowed to see his client.

“I was told I was not needed,” Sanders said, explaining that Janet and Jermaine had met with their mother and were afraid his presence would “upset” her.

The elder Jackson had been suffering from high blood pressure and Jackson siblings booked her into the high-end spa to recover.

“At a minimum this was a giant misunderstanding,” Sanders said. “It’s nothing like what it has been trumped up to be.”

As soon as Katherine lands in Los Angeles later today, Sanders vowed he’ll file papers asking for her to be reinstated as guardian.

So for now, TJ is set to run the household until the next court date on Aug. 22 — or until Katherine is regains custody.

Before Judge Beckloff’s stunning ruling, Katherine had been legal guardian of MJ’s kids — Paris, Prince and Blanket — all living at the matriarch’s home in Calabasas, Calif.

But then she took off 1 ½ weeks ago without telling her grand kids.

The Gloved One’s 14-year-old daughter Paris has been tweeting non-stop that Katherine was legally “missing” and being kept out of LA.

Brothers Randy and Jermaine Jackson had insisted all along that Katherine was resting with family in Arizona and not in any harm.

Randy said this morning that Katherine was returning soon to Southern California.

“My mom is on her way back to Los Angeles,” Randy told “Good Morning America” today. “It was under doctor’s orders that she go. Her health was really bad, and he wanted her to go somewhere where she couldn’t be on the phone, and be cut off from the outside world for a few days.”

Katherine’s oddly-timed Arizona trip came shortly after brothers Randy and Jackson touched off a family feud with their hopes of getting MJ’s will and estate executors thrown out.

The siblings claim MJ’s will is a fraud, arguing he couldn’t have signed it in July 7, 2002, in Los Angeles when he was in New York that day.

However, Katherine Jackson and the three kids want no part of Randy and Jermaine’s efforts because they’re fine with their care under Michael’s will, family sources said.

Randy Jackson insisted his mom’s time away from California had nothing to do with the on-going will battle.

“So she’s fine, her health is a lot better,” said Randy, blaming estate executors for linking Katherine’s sudden disappearance from California to the estate brouhaha.

“This is … all part of the plot to try to hide all the truth.”

The family fight hit a boiling point on Monday afternoon when Randy, Jermaine and sister Janet Jackson stormed Katherine’s home to confront Paris.

Randy said the altercation, which drew a visit from LA County Sheriff’s deputies, got violent but he blamed security guards working for the estate.

“We were met with … we were denied access to our own home,” he said. “Things did get out of hand on their part.”

Paris tweeted this morning, that the whole situation is throwing her for a loop: “everyones taking control of me , it seems that the worlds got a role for me .. im so confused will u show to me you’ll be there for me.”

The drama has become too much for Tito Jackson, who told TMZ last night that he’s dropping out of Randy’s bid to overturn Michael’s will.

The kids and estate executors have always supported TJ’s appointment as temporary guardian, even though his dad had been part of the will-overturning bid until last night.

With AP