Why the Michael Jackson movie is already extremely controversial

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYSat, April 11, 2026 at 6:53 PM UTC

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Team "Michael" is moonwalking on eggshells in the weeks leading up to the movie's release.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), the Michael Jackson biopic (in theaters April 24) stars his nephew Jaafar Jackson as the late King of Pop, who died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication in 2009 at age 50. Colman Domingo and Nia Long play the singer’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, while Miles Teller portrays lawyer John Branca.

But the film’s distributor isn't showing the movie to journalists yet, and the cast is only participating in very limited interviews – understandable, given all the controversy that has already swirled around the long-gestating project.

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What is the ‘Michael’ movie about?

Jaafar Jackson (left) plays his uncle Michael Jackson (right) in the 2026 biopic "Michael."

The film follows Michael's meteoric rise to fame, from his young start with sibling group the Jackson 5, and into his early solo career through the 1970s and 1980s. According to Variety, the movie explores his recovery from a 1984 pyrotechnics accident while filming a Pepsi commercial and ends with him on his "Bad" tour in the late '80s.

What are the allegations against Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson waves as he arrives for his trial at the Santa Barbara County courthouse on May 2, 2005, in Santa Maria, California.

In 1993, dentist Evan Chandler accused Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son, Jordan. The pop star denied any wrongdoing, but he settled the lawsuit for $23 million in early 1994.

At the time, Jackson's estranged sister, La Toya, told the media the allegations were true and that she had allegedly seen checks used as hush money for the families of young boys. But she eventually retracted the statement in her 2011 autobiography “Starting Over.”

In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, who was allegedly abused at the singer’s Neverland Ranch in California. The case went to trial in 2005, which included high-profile witnesses Macaulay Culkin, Jay Leno, Chris Tucker and George Lopez. Jackson was ultimately acquitted on all counts, with jurors citing insufficient evidence.

Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who met Jackson as children, also alleged years of abuse by Jackson in the 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland.” According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly last fall, the two men are seeking $400 million in damages, and People reports that they will go up in front of a jury in lower court this November.

Why is the Michael Jackson biopic controversial?

Unlike the long-running Broadway musical "MJ," which ends just before Jackson's 1993 accusations, the new movie was reportedly set to address his alleged misconduct head-on.

But the film was apparently forced to undergo roughly $15 million in reshoots and write a new ending, according to Variety. Attorneys for Jackson's estate allegedly discovered a clause in the legal settlement with Chandler, preventing any mention or depiction of him in any movie.

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Variety reports that "much of its third act [was] devoted to the scandal. But that finale was scrapped, along with any mention of the child molestation accusations," according to sources close to the film. The outlet was also told that in the original script, there was a scene of investigators searching Jackson's Neverland Ranch estate for evidence.

The movie was initially planned for release in April 2025. But after the alleged behind-the-scenes turmoil, that date moved to October 2025 and then spring 2026.

What have Michael Jackson’s accusers said about the film?

1 / 0Revisiting Michael Jackson's life and legacy in photos

Jackson performs an open-air concert in West Berlin on June 19, 1988.

Safechuck and Robson have not publicly denounced the upcoming biopic or its alleged nixing of the scandal storyline. But in 2024, when the movie was filming, their attorney John C. Carpenter slammed the project in an interview with The Daily Beast.

"We just want to get the truth out there as soon as possible ... and the sooner we get the truth out, then we don’t have to worry about the propaganda,” Carpenter said. “Or maybe the movie’s a flop and no one watches it.”

What does Michael Jackson’s family think of the movie?

Paris Jackson attends Vanity Fair's Young Hollywood party in Los Angeles on March 11.

So far, reactions among the Jackson clan seem to be all over the place. In March, TMZ reported that Janet Jackson was "very critical of the film" after a family screening in Los Angeles, while brother Jermaine Jackson, who is Jaafar's dad, "loudly applauded." The late singer's daughter, Paris Jackson, also got in a public tiff with Domingo, after he told People last fall that Jackson's children were "very much in support of the film" and that he had chatted with them "briefly."

According to Vanity Fair, Paris took to Instagram alleging that she had zero involvement in the movie.

"I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest [and] didn’t sit right with me," Paris wrote on Instagram. "When they didn’t address it, I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and godspeed.”

Paris added that she hesitated to speak up because she knew "Michael" would please her father's fans: "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.”

What is ‘Michael’ rated?

The MPA (Motion Picture Association) has rated “Michael” PG-13 for some thematic material, language and smoking.

How long is the Michael Jackson movie?

“Michael” is 2 hours and 7 minutes long.

What is the 'Michael' release date?

“Michael” will released in theaters nationwide April 24, with sneak-preview screenings beginning April 22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does Michael Jackson movie handle child sex abuse allegations?

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