Inside the ‘Michael’ movie controversy: What Jackson’s family is really saying about the biopic
The Michael Jackson biopic, officially titled 'Michael' and starring Jaafar Jackson, releases in theatres on Friday, and takes a glamorous look at the early years and the rise of the pop star. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, 'Michael' was originally supposed to open with a scene depicting the 1993 police raid on Jackson's Neverland Ranch. However, such scenes were subsequently dropped after principal photography, when lead producer Graham King learned they couldn't be included because they would explicitly refer to the incident under the terms of a 1994 legal settlement. In any case, the film has led several members of Jackson's family to either come out in support of the project or criticize it.
Jackson's eldest child and one of the producers of the film, Prince Jackson, attended the Berlin and Los Angeles premieres and wrote on his Instagram page on April 11 that watching Jermaine Jackson's son "step into the role of his uncle Michael is incredibly special for the family. With his talent, dedication, and spirit, he was the only right choice to portray Michael and bring his story to the big screen." On the other hand, Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson, has consistently been a vocal advocate for the fact that she wasn't consulted by the movie's producers. According to an E! News article, she recently mentioned, "The narrative is being controlled. There’s a lot of inaccuracy, and there’s a lot of full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. I don’t really like dishonesty."
Janet Jackson, who is Michael's sister, has asked to be removed from the entire narrative. Her sister, LaToya Jackson, told Variety during the movie's L.A. premiere, "I wish everybody was in the movie, (but Janet) was asked and she kindly declined, so you have to respect her wishes." Bigi Jackson, the most private of Michael's children, attended the Berlin premiere of the film on April 10, but hasn't yet commented. Elsewhere, LaToya stated during the film's L.A. premiere, "(Jaafar was) absolutely fantastic, he just embodied my brother, and I'm so proud of him." She further added, "A lot of times people think they know the story and they read about things, but when the family’s involved, the family can say yay or nay." The sixth eldest child of Michael, i.e., Marlon Jackson, gave the film her approval when she said, "When I first saw him on stage, when I went to the set the first time, they were shooting the [Jacksons' 1984] Victory Tour…And I said, 'Wow.' He looked just like Michael."
Similarly, Jaafar's father, Jermaine Jackson, expressed being "extremely proud." Michael's nephew Tito Jackson, however, slammed the critics with his comment, "The public gets to watch this movie… they will decide for themselves. And you can’t handle that. Can’t wait until some critics have to eat crow. And yes, I will be that petty." Lastly, TJ Jackson took to his X profile on April 22 and added that he was off to watch the movie because he "wouldn't miss this opportunity to be masked in the electrifying energy that will be in that theater for nothing. My uncle deserves this, my cousin earned this, and his loyal supporters are owed this. The world will be reminded or learn who MJ truly was, and I can’t wait!"
