Is Janet Jackson in the new 'Michael' movie? Everything we know about Michael Jackson's sister's role
The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' will finally arrive in theatres worldwide on Friday. Fans will get to see the beloved artist's story unfold on screen, along with special appearances from several close ones in the movie. The development fueled the speculation that the 'Smooth Criminal' singer's famous sister, Janet Jackson, may be a part of the movie. According to several reports, this is not the case, even though she has shared some positive sentiments about the movie.
As per Variety, Janet will not appear in the movie, and no character based on her will be part of the narrative. The absence could be linked to her contentious relationship with the superstar singer's estate, which has an equity stake in the film. Back in 2012, Janet, along with her siblings Jermaine, Randy, the late Tito, and Rebbie, accused the estate of fraud and abuse against their mother in a scathing letter: “Your heartless pursuit of wealth, fame, and power is at the expense of our family, whose deepest desire is to give to the world a gift of hope, love, and unity through our music,” the siblings wrote. The letter added that their mother, Katherine Jackson, suffered a 'mini-stroke' in the estate's care. Since Michael Jackson died in 2009, Janet Jackson has put forward multiple allegations against executors John Branca and John McClain, going as far as questioning the validity of Michael Jackson's will, which endowed the duo with control over his massive estate.
Along with the haughty relationship between Janet and the estate, another factor may have persuaded Janet Jackson to decline a part in the movie. She shares a close bond with Michael's daughter, Paris Jackson. Paris has been quite open about her negative feelings regarding the movie. However, Guardian shared that after actor Colman Domingo, who plays the Jackson patriarch in the movie, expressed gratitude to Paris for her contributions to the project, the latter took to social media to share her feelings. “Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had zero per cent involvement in lol that is so weird,” the 27-year-old singer and actor wrote in Instagram stories. “I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest / didn’t sit right with me, and when they didn’t address it, I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and God speed.” She further called the movie "sugar-coated" and full of "full-blown lies."
Furthermore, Paris' relationship with her father's estate has also broken down considerably over the years. She has accused the executors of skimming money from the singer's $2 billion estate and recently alleged in a filing that the estate is trying to make her look bad in the public eye. Janet and Paris may be presenting a united front against the biopic in which the estate has invested. Janet may not have anything good to say about some investors associated with the movie, but she has appreciated her nephew Jaffar Jackson's performance in the titular role in the biopic.
