Topline
Paris Jackson slammed an upcoming biopic depicting the life of her father, Michael Jackson, as “filled with inaccuracies” and “full blown lies”—the first critical reaction from a Jackson family member about the movie, which stars the pop star’s nephew and is backed by his estate—alleging suggestions she made after reading a draft of the script were ignored.
Jackson, in a series of posts on her Instagram story posted Tuesday night, refuted actor Domingo’s claim from days earlier that she was “very helpful” to him as he portrayed Michael Jackson’s father in the film, alleging she had only briefly met Domingo twice.
Jackson said she gave feedback to a first draft of the script, but alleged her notes were not considered for future drafts, stating she “spoke up” and “wasn’t heard,’ so she “butted out and I’ve left it alone because it’s not my project, so, they’re gonna make whatever they’re gonna make.”
Jackson said the film is “filled with inaccuracies” and “full blown lies,” stating she wants nothing to do with it because she prefers “honesty over sales and monetary gain.”
“It’s Hollywood. It’s fantasy land. It’s not real. But it’s sold to you as real,” Jackson said, alleging the “film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it.”
Jackson did not specify what parts of the film she feels are lies.
“Michael,” the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, is currently slated to release in April, though the film was delayed from its planned release in October after reshooting for more than three weeks over the summer, as well as reported legal issues with how a child molestation accuser against the singer was portrayed.
Domingo, who plays family patriarch Joe Jackson in the film, told People at the amfAR benefit gala in Venice, Italy, on Sunday—which Paris Jackson also attended—that she was “very helpful” to him throughout the movie, and that she and her brother Prince are “very much in support of our film.” “I'm excited to be here at amfAR tonight with Paris. It feels like that's a nice way for us to be together,” Domingo said. Jackson, on her Instagram story, said she has “met this man twice” and “both were hella brief interactions.” She tagged Domingo’s Instagram account on her story, stating: “Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol that is so weird.” Domingo has not responded to Jackson’s comments.
Aside from Paris Jackson’s critical comments, the Jackson family response to the biopic has been positive. Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, stars in the film as the singer, and the film is co-produced by John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Jackson estate. When the film was announced in 2022, Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s mother, said the Jackson family is “honored to have our life story come alive on the big screen.”
Production on the biopic has been plagued by delays and other difficulties, and it’s reportedly still unclear whether the movie will be split into two parts after a first cut of the film totaled more than three hours. The movie faced extensive reshoots, which took place over 22 days in June, which multiple reports have suggested is connected to a legal issue that impacted the movie’s third act. Producers were reportedly unaware of a clause in Jackson accuser Jordan Chandler’s 1994 settlement with the singer, which prohibits him from being dramatized in any adaptation of Jackson’s life. Chandler’s family accused Jackson of sexually abusing their then-13-year-old son in 1993—which Jackson denied—and the family sued the singer in a lawsuit that was settled for more than $20 million.
Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’ Could Be Split Into Two Parts; Release Date In Flux – The Dish (Deadline)