Paris Jackson Reunites with Mother Debbie Rowe: First Picture Emerges of 'Mother-Daughter Spending Quality Time'

Michael Jackson's daughter Paris reunited with her birth mother Debbie Rowe on her 15th birthday earlier this month.

And now, Entertainment Tonight has released the first picture of the pair, showing Rowe, with her arm around Paris as they celebrated her birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California on 3 April. The two had "a day of shopping and quality mother-daughter time."

Rowe, the nurse and assistant of Michael Jackson's dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein, was married to the King of Pop from 1996 to 1999. She is the mother of both Paris and her brother Prince, but gave up parental rights to the singer in 2001.

Rowe has received a lot of criticism in the past for leaving her children.

"Because you give birth, because you impregnate someone, that does not automatically give you that title of mother or father. You earn the title. My kids don't call me mom because I don't want them to," she told GMTV back in 2003, "They're Michael's children. It's not that they are not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. I believe there are people who should be parents and he's one of them. And he is such a fabulous man and such a good friend and he's always been there for me. Always, from the day I met him."

"We have a non-traditional family and if it makes people uncomfortable it's a shame that they are not more open. We are a family unit. Michael and I will always be connected with the kids. I will always be there for him. I will always be there for the children and people make remarks, "I can't believe she left her children". Left them? I left my children? I did not leave my children. My children are with their father, where they are supposed to be. I didn't do it to be a mother," she added.