Is Oliver Twist Paris Jackson’s father?

Former child star Mark Lester has come forward claiming he is the biological father of Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris.

Mark rose to fame starring in the 1968 Oscar winning film Oliver! and first bonded with Michael over the fact that they had both been child stars in 1981. The former actor, who is now an osteopath and acupuncture specialist, claims he donated sperm to the late King Of Pop in 1996 and is willing to take a paternity test to prove he is Paris’ natural father.

In an interview with Britain’s News Of The World on Sunday, Mark says: “It’s been a secret for so long. 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.”

Mark – who is godfather to Michael’s three children: Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7 – has come forward after noticing the resemblance between Paris and his own daughter, Harriet, 15.

“Michael wasn’t gay. But I’d say he was asexual. He was very conscious of his own body,” the 51-year-old insists.

“In one of our regular phone conversations he said he realised having kids was a natural thing but he just couldn’t do it. I think he’d already tried using his own sperm for artificial insemination but it hadn’t worked for him, so I made an off-the-cuff comment saying: ‘Try mine!’”

While unorthodox, Mark was glad to make the gesture for his friend.

“I didn’t expect it to happen, but I accepted. It’s something I wouldn’t do for anyone else. But I wanted to do it for him. I was honoured to do it.”

Mark says he fears he is being shut out of the children’s lives.

“With Michael’s mother, Katherine, now their legal guardian it’s like the kids are being isolated. Up until Michael’s memorial. I was in touch with them on a weekly basis. Our two families spent a lot of time together, and had a lot fun together. Now I’m not able to have any communication with the children. This isn’t what Michael would have wanted.”