Ms Rowe met the star when she worked as a dermatologist's nurse

On her second day as a witness at the star's child abuse trial, Ms Rowe said she still considered him a friend.

The BBC's James Coomarasamy says the evidence she gave has helped to pick apart the case against Mr Jackson.

The star denies all 10 offences, including plying a 13-year-old boy with alcohol and sexually abusing him.

He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

The allegations came to light after a documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir, in which the singer admitted sharing a bed with a child.

Mr Jackson made his own video to answer the controversy - and asked Ms Rowe to take part, she told the court in Santa Maria.

Before the interview, the pair had not spoken since 1999 and she signed away her parental rights in 2001.

'Manipulated'

Ms Rowe resumed her testimony on Thursday, after a defence motion to have her entire evidence struck from the record was rejected by the judge.

Debbie Rowe described Michael Jackson as a friend

She reiterated her denial on Wednesday that she had been asked to praise him or read a script in the video produced by Mr Jackson to refute the claims made in Mr Bashir's documentary.

She said her aim had been to see her children and possibly be reunited with Mr Jackson.

"He's generous to a fault, giving and kind," she said, repeating the words she said she asked to be included in the final edit of the interview. "A great father, great with kids... a brilliant businessman."

She sobbed as she spoke of there being two Michaels: "my Michael and the Michael that everyone else sees."

The star's ex-wife went on to portray him as a man being manipulated by opportunistic handlers, who she said were keeping information from him and wanted to make millions of dollars out of him.

Ms Rowe said she had been denied access to their children, despite a promise from an associate of the singer following the interview.

A trip to Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch to see her estranged children never materialised.

Host of celebrities

In testimony on Wednesday, she said she had lied in the video about the singer's parenting skills. But the prosecution does not appear to have followed this up.

Our correspondent at the trial says that instead of an aggrieved ex-wife forced to praise the star, the jury has seen a loyal woman determined to see her children and apparently rekindle a friendship with their father.

Mr Jackson and Ms Rowe were married from 1996 to 1999 and she is the mother of two of his children.

They met while she was working as a nurse in the office of the pop star's dermatologist.

On Monday, Judge Rodney Melville said he would limit Ms Rowe's evidence after warnings from the defence team that it could open "a huge can of worms".

She is likely to be one of the last witnesses called by the prosecution against the pop star.

The defence team is expected to call on a host of celebrities to testify to the singer's good character and innocent love of children.