MICHAEL JACKSON's three children bid farewell to the pop superstar under the watchful eye of a therapist as he lay lifeless in his hospital bed.

The Thriller hitmaker was pronounced dead last week (25Jun09) after he was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles following a cardiac arrest. He was 50.

Jackson's family flocked to the hospital as soon as the news broke, and his brother Jermaine reveals the singer's kids - Prince Michael Jr., 12, Paris Michael Katherine, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II - were escorted into their father's room so they could say their goodbyes one last time.

Jermaine, 54, admits he was initially opposed to the family decision because he felt it would be too traumatic for the youngsters - but he relented after learning a therapist would be on hand to help them get through the emotional visit.

He says, "I know it's tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first I was against it, but what do you say if you don't show them?"

Jackson's mother Katherine was granted temporary guardianship of the star's kids on Monday (29Jun09). A longterm decision about their future will be made in a court hearing next week (06Jul09).