Mark Lester of "Oliver!" fame resurfaces ...

Did any of you catch the news report a couple of days ago about actor Mark Lester? Yes, that cute little chap from the musical "Oliver!". Except that alas he's neither cute nor a little boy anymore.

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It was a most interesting story. Mark Lester, 51, claimed he is the real father of Michael Jackson's daughter Paris.

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Lester was apparently a close friend of Jacko's and godparent to his children, and he now wants to contact the 12-year-old.

Here are some interesting excerpts from what Lester said to the press:

"I gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids - and I believe Paris is my daughter."

"It's been a secret for too long. In 1996 Michael asked me if I would give him my sperm and I said yes.

"It was a gift to him, no money was paid, it was something I was honoured to do. He wanted children so badly. He realised having kids was a natural thing but that he just couldn't do it. I think he'd already tried using his own sperm but it hadn't worked, so I made an off-the-cuff comment saying, 'Try mine!'"

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What happened next was predictable. A lawyer of the Jackson family lawyer slammed Lester over his sensational claim He branded the former Oliver star's story as "another unproven and meaningless claim". The attorney said courts had no reason to go against findings that the late star is father to all three of his children.

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Lester alleged he was the father of Paris, 12, after claiming he donated sperm for Debbie Rowe, mother of two of Jackson's children. Lester, who said he was willing to take a paternity test, also claims Paris bears an uncanny resemblance to his daughter Harriet, 15.

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