The new Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” was supposed to bring the family together. Instead, it’s splitting them apart.
On one side, you have the people who showed up. Katherine Jackson called her grandson Jaafar’s casting a way to “carry on the Jackson legacy,” and praised how much he embodies her son.
Prince Jackson went further. He served as an executive producer and was reportedly on set every single day during filming. Bigi Jackson showed up to the German premiere to support his cousin in the role.
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Then there’s Paris. She read an early draft of the script and says SHE GAVE NOTES ABOUT PARTS THAT FELT DISHONEST TO HER. According to her, those notes were never addressed, so she walked away from the project entirely.
Janet’s situation is more complicated. Publicly, the story is simple. La Toya Jackson told reporters at the premiere that Janet was asked to take part and “kindly declined,” and the film’s director said he still has love and respect for her.
But insider reports tell a different story, claiming that JANET WAS OPENLY CRITICAL OF THE FILM DURING A PRIVATE FAMILY SCREENING AND THAT TENSIONS ROSE BETWEEN HER AND JERMAINE, whose son stars in the lead role.
A Clip Breaking Down Why Janet Sat This One Out
So you’ve got a mother and sons embracing the project, a daughter who walked away over accuracy concerns, and a sister whose quiet exit may not have been as quiet as the press release made it sound.
The movie is in theaters. The family, by most accounts, is still working through it.