'Michael' star addresses criticism over film ignoring allegations

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Thu, April 23, 2026 at 5:12 PM UTC

0

One of the stars of the new Michael Jackson biopic is addressing criticism that the movie whitewashes the king of pop's life.v

During an April 22 appearance on the "Today" show, Colman Domingo, who plays Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson in "Michael," was questioned about the fact that the movie ignores the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson. The singer's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, portrays him in the movie, which takes place between the years 1966 and 1988.

"Today" host Craig Melvin asked in the interview, "We live in an environment now where survivors of sexual abuse, we take their stories very seriously. What would you say to folks who see this, and they're like, 'You know what? They whitewashed that part. They didn't even include that part.' How do you reconcile your performance with that?"

Colman Domingo attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Michael" on April 20, 2026.

In response, Domingo said the movie "does not go into the first allegations" against Jackson because it is set before the initial claims came out and is focused on the rise of his music career.

Michael Jackson movie christens a new star in Jaafar Jackson – Review

"We center it on the makings of Michael, so it's an intimate portrait of who Michael is," he said.

But Domingo suggested the allegations against Jackson could potentially be addressed in a follow-up film. The filmmakers and stars behind "Michael" have teased that the biopic could get a sequel if the first movie performs well at the box office, though a second film has not been confirmed.

1 / 0See how Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson compares in new movie

Jaafar Jackson (left) performs as Michael during his 1987 Bad tour. Michael (right) onstage during his first solo show in Japan on Sept. 12, 1987.

"There's a possibility of there being a part two, that may deal with some other things that happen afterwards," Domingo said. "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."

Advertisement

Multiple reports, including from Puck and Variety, have said that "Michael" was originally set to address the 1993 allegation that Jackson molested 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, which the singer denied. But according to Variety, these scenes had to be scrapped after it was discovered that a clause in a settlement with Chandler prevented him from being depicted or mentioned in a film.

"We had a legal issue we found out after we finished shooting the film, that the estate didn't realize at the time," producer Graham King said on the "Today Show Australia." "So it was a little bit of a shock."

Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Michael's father, in "Michael."

The movie's third act was reportedly then adjusted through reshoots. The current version of the film sidesteps the allegations by ending its story in 1988, five years before the Chandler claims came out and 15 years before Jackson was arrested in 2003 on charges of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. He denied the allegation and was acquitted on all counts.

Why Janet Jackson doesn't appear in Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael'

"Michael" has received largely negative reviews, and some critics have argued the film sanitizes the singer's life story by ignoring the abuse allegations. In a review for WBUR, critic Sean Burns wrote that ending the movie in 1988 "is kind of like ending an O.J. Simpson biopic with him winning the Heisman Trophy."

"Michael" director Antoine Fuqua recently said in an interview with The New Yorker that he is skeptical of some of the allegations against Jackson. "When I hear things about us — Black people in particular, especially in a certain position — there's always pause," he told the outlet. He added that while he does not know the truth, "Sometimes people do some nasty things for some money."

Contributing: Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colman Domingo defends 'Michael' ignoring abuse allegations

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”