Michael Jackson Biopic Cast Weigh In On Absence Of Abuse Allegations

Much of the criticism is levelled at the fact that Michael – which was financially backed by the late musician’s estate – ends in 1988, meaning it does not include the multiple allegations of child sexual abuse made against the singer in his lifetime.

While promoting the movie, which is now in cinemas, the cast of Michael have been questioned about the decision not to include any of these abuse allegations.

Colman Domingo, who plays Jackson family patriarch Joseph in the biopic, pointed out the film’s timeline during an interview with the Today show, when questioned about claims that the project “whitewashes” the Billie Jean singer’s history.

“The film takes place from the ’60s to 1988, so it does not go into the first allegations,” the Oscar nominee responded. “So, basically, we centred it on the makings of Michael.”

He continued: “So, it’s an intimate portrait of who Michael is… through his eyes. So, that’s what it is, that’s what this film is.”

Domingo also addressed speculation about a potential follow-up to Michael, which could explore the allegations, explaining: “There’s a possibility of there being a part two that may deal with some other things that happened afterwards.

“This is about the making of Michael, how he was raised, and then how he was trying to find his voice as an artist and be a solo artist. That’s what I have to say about that.”

In the same interview, Nia Long – who plays Jackson’s mother Katherine – didn’t directly address the film’s avoidance of abuse allegations, but chipped in on the possibility of a sequel about the Grammy winner’s later years “if the price is right”.

While other cast members – including Jackson’s nephew Jaafar, who plays the star in the film – have yet to comment on the matter, Michael director Antoine Fuqua has raised questions about the allegations themselves.

In a piece published in the New Yorker, the US outlet claims that “Fuqua is not convinced that Jackson did what he is accused of doing, despite the number of accusers (five) and the fact that Jackson publicly talked about sharing his bed with boys”.

The article goes on to say that Fuqua hadn’t planned to downplay the controversy of Jackson’s later years, but “envisioned a film that might have read as a provocative defence of its subject”.

Fuqua himself said: “When I hear things about us – Black people in particular, especially in a certain position – there’s always pause.”

Variety previously reported that Michael was originally supposed to include a scene in which police arrived at Jackson’s Neverland ranch in 1993 to look for evidence.

However this was apparently scrapped, along with the biopic’s initial ending, which featured a depiction of one of the star’s accusers, for legal reasons.

Lawyers for the Jackson estate reportedly realised after filming was complete that a legal clause in one settlement barred the depiction or mention of the accuser in any movie, triggering an expensive 22-day re-shoot and talks of a follow-up or sequel to the biopic including these subjects in a different way.

Despite the controversy over the film’s lack of controversy itself, Michael has had a strong start at the box office, pulling in $18.5 million (around £13.7 million) on its opening day.