That being said, Michael continued, "then there are times I've looked back, and I think in order to have the life that I've been able to provide and give them, I had to sacrifice a lot of things."

Michael Jr. and Tanita eventually moved back to the U.S. and attended high school in their father's native Houston, according to People, then studied psychology and art, respectively, in college.

Tanita is "kind of like me in the sense that she has a very strong personality, but a silent strong personality," Michael told New York Family in 2014. "She’s not going to be one to walk into a room and make it all about her. She definitely has an opinion and she’s very smart and she knows what she wants, which I love about her."

He called Michael Jr. a "very smart" and "very particular young man."

Ultimately, Michael said, "I have great kids, and they’re not the kind who look at my life and say 'Daddy's this' and 'Daddy’s that.' My kids are interested in making their own way. They have their own personalities and do their own thing. I'm happy to see that."