Janet Jackson was asked to be portrayed in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael and declined, LaToya Jackson said Monday night at the film’s premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Janet Jackson does not appear as a character in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film.
“I wish everybody was in the movie,” LaToya Jackson said, adding that her sister “was asked and she kindly declined so you have to respect her wishes.”
The premiere landed in early April after months of scrutiny around a project meant to present Michael Jackson’s life on screen. Michael Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, while Colman Domingo portrays Joe Jackson, Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson and Jessica Sula appears as LaToya Jackson. Juliano Valdi plays a younger Michael Jackson.
Fuqua said it was “very important” to involve the Jackson family in the film. “You’re telling somebody’s life, you want to make sure that they’re happy,” he said, adding, “I have so much respect and love for Janet, but you know it’s OK. She’s supportive of Jaafar and that’s what matters.”
LaToya Jackson used the premiere to praise her nephew’s performance. “Oh my gosh, I have to tell you that Jaafar was absolutely fabulous,” she said. “I’m sure you’ve seen the movie and you know how wonderful he is, how we all forget and think that we’re watching Mike.” She added, “It’s like, ‘Oh, I forgot this is Jaafar.’”
The family’s public posture around Michael has not been uniform. Prince Jackson, Michael Jackson’s son, serves as an executive producer on the film, while Paris Jackson has publicly criticized it for having “a lot of inaccuracies” and “a lot of full blown lies.” She said, “The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy. And they’re going to be happy with it.”
That split came after early-April reports that the Jackson estate had to pay up to $15 million for reshoots and remove scenes showing Michael Jackson being accused of child molestation by Jordan Chandler. Chandler’s settlement with Jackson barred his depiction or mention in any movie, forcing changes that reshaped the finished film.
So the answer to the question hanging over the premiere is plain enough: Janet Jackson did not take part, and the film went ahead without her. The bigger story is that Michael is arriving with the Jackson family both inside the project and openly divided around it.