Prince Jackson, who served as an executive producer on the project, and La Toya Jackson were present at the Los Angeles event. However, Paris Jackson and Bigi (Blanket) Jackson were absent from the Los Angeles premiere, though Bigi attended the biopic premiere in Berlin earlier this month. Prince Jackson's involvement as an executive producer contrasts with Janet Jackson's decision to decline participation, as she reportedly refused to be portrayed in the film.
Paris Jackson has publicly criticized the biopic as inaccurate. She rejected actor Colman Domingo's claim that she was involved in the film. Paris Jackson is also engaged in a legal battle with the executors of Michael Jackson's estate, though the current status and specific details of that litigation remain unclear.
[Colman], don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol. That is so weird.
The biopic has faced scrutiny for its handling of child abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. Multiple reports indicate the film does not confront these allegations. According to a Lionsgate spokesperson, references to child abuse allegations were removed due to a 1994 settlement with Jordan Chandler.
Variety reported that Michael Jackson's estate paid at least $10 million to $15 million on reshoots specifically to remove these references. How the film addresses or avoids other controversial aspects of Michael Jackson's life beyond the child abuse allegations is not fully known. Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's nephew, portrays his uncle in the biopic.
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.
The production is estimated to have cost $155 million to shoot. Bigi Jackson's attendance at the Berlin premiere but absence from Los Angeles raises questions about the full extent of the Jackson family's involvement or approval of the biopic's content. The specific reasons behind Janet Jackson's decision to decline participation are not publicly detailed, and Paris Jackson has not specified the exact inaccuracies she claims are in the film.
So I just butted out and left it alone because it’s not my project. They’re going to make whatever they’re going to make. A big reason why I haven’t said anything up until this point is because I know a lot of you guys are gonna be happy with it.
A big section of 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.
The narrative is being controlled and there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. Go enjoy it. Do whatever. Leave me out of it.