Paris Jackson has publicly distanced herself from the biopic, which she did last year. She is currently in a legal battle with the executors of Michael Jackson's estate, John Branca and John McClain. According to major media, Paris Jackson accused the estate executors of mishandling money in 2025, while the executors have denied all allegations against them.
The biopic has been in production for 7 years since 2019 and is estimated to have cost $155 million to shoot. Michael Jackson's estate paid at least $10 million to $15 million on reshoots to remove references to child abuse allegations. A Lionsgate spokesperson said Michael Jackson's 1994 settlement with Jordan Chandler prohibited mentioning him in any movie, leading to substantial footage being scrapped.
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 exact reasons why Paris Jackson chose not to attend any of the biopic premieres remain unclear, as does the full extent of the footage scrapped due to the settlement and how it affects the film's content. Bigi, who was absent from the Los Angeles premiere, attended the biopic premieres in Berlin and Gary, Indiana. Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson in the film, said Paris and Prince Jackson were very supportive of the film.
Jaafar Jackson, who portrays Michael Jackson in the biopic, attended the Los Angeles premiere with his girlfriend Maddie Simpson. Other celebrities attending included Garcelle Beauvais, George Lopez, Mayan Lopez, and Derek Hough. Mariah Carey attended a special screening of the biopic in New York City on the same day.
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.
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.