Manny Ita –
Janet Jackson has reportedly expressed strong criticism of the upcoming biographical film about her late brother Michael Jackson, leading to a heated disagreement with fellow sibling Jermaine Jackson following a private family screening.
According to a report by TMZ cited by The Daily Beast, the disagreement occurred after members of the Jackson family gathered in Los Angeles to watch Michael, a forthcoming film depicting the life and career of the King of Pop.
The report said Janet Jackson, 59, reacted negatively to the film after the screening, while Jermaine Jackson, 71, “loudly applauded” the production. The disagreement reportedly escalated into a phone argument between the siblings.
Jermaine Jackson’s son, Jaafar Jackson, portrays Michael Jackson in the film, which traces the singer’s journey from his early years with The Jackson 5 to his emergence as one of the most influential solo performers in global music.
Sources cited by TMZ claimed that Janet Jackson was the only member of the family who reacted negatively to the preview. Her boyfriend, however, reportedly supported the film and was quoted as saying, “Now that’s a movie,” after the screening concluded.
Although the film is backed by the estate of Michael Jackson, the report stated that Janet Jackson had no involvement in the project and does not appear in the film. TMZ reported that she was offered a role in the film’s production but declined to participate.
The Daily Beast said it had contacted Janet Jackson’s representatives for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
An anonymous source quoted by TMZ alleged that “Janet’s always been insanely jealous of Michael, and her career is in the toilet.”
Janet Jackson, who was born eight years after her brother, was not a member of The Jackson 5 but later launched a successful solo career. She has won five Grammy Awards, received an Academy Award nomination, and recorded ten number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The biopic has also faced criticism from other figures connected to Michael Jackson’s legacy. Dan Reed, director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, which explored sexual abuse allegations against the singer, described the film as “a complete whitewash” of Jackson’s life.
“It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies,” Reed told The Times of London in 2024.
Production of the film reportedly encountered complications related to a legal settlement involving Jordan Chandler. The settlement reportedly included a clause preventing Chandler from being mentioned or dramatized in any film, which led to significant reshoots.
Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, has also publicly criticised the film’s script. She previously described it as “dishonest” and “filled with inaccuracies,” and has since withdrawn from involvement in the project.
“The thing about these biopics is, it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasyland. It’s not real. But it’s sold to you as real,” Paris Jackson said in a post on Instagram. “The narrative is being controlled. And there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me.”
The film, which has a reported production budget of $155 million, marks the acting debut of Jaafar Jackson and is scheduled for release on April 24.
