EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson Biopic Savaged for Being 'Total Whitewash' of Singer's Alleged 'Rampant Pedophilia'
Michael Jackson's movie is already drowning in backlash.
April 23 2026, Published 4:45 p.m. ET
Michael Jackson's new biopic is being fiercely criticized as a "total whitewash" of the singer's life, with reviewers and insiders accusing the film of glossing over longstanding allegations that have shadowed his legacy.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Michael – directed by Antoine Fuqua – stars Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson as the singer, and traces the late pop star's rise from the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to his early solo success.
'Michael' Biopic Debuts to Poor Reviews
Jaafar Jackson plays the King of Pop in the controversial new biopic 'Michael.'
Released in theaters on April 24 after delays tied to editing and distribution plans, the $150million production has landed a measly 35 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics have pointed to what they describe as sanitized storytelling, omitting key controversies, including allegations of child sexual abuse that first emerged in 1993 and resurfaced in later years, notably through the documentary Leaving Neverland.
Reviewers have been scathing.
The Daily Mail wrote: "The storytelling is simplistic, the omissions egregious, but $200million sure buys a fabulous karaoke act," awarding the film two stars.
Director Antoine Fuqua insisted the movie aimed to tell the facts about the man and the artist.
Other outlets echoed the sentiment, with critics suggesting the narrative avoids confronting the most troubling aspects of Jackson's life.
One industry source said: "It feels like a deliberate effort to sidestep the most difficult chapters – audiences are left with spectacle rather than substance.
"Whatever the denials have been, there is the belief Jackson was guilty of rampant pedophilia, and not one ounce of that is reflected here. What we are talking about here is a whitewash of his very controversial life and times."
The backlash has extended beyond critics to members of Jackson's own family.
Paris Jackson Goes Off on Film
Paris Jackson slammed the movie for 'pandering' to a specific section of her father's fandom.
His daughter Paris Jackson has publicly distanced herself from the project and criticized its production.
Paris has said it was "troubling" Jackson estate funds were used to make the film, and branded the movie a "botched production."
She also tellingly argued it would "pander to a very specific section of my dad's fandom that still lives in a fantasy."
Paris added she was not involved in the film, while expressing broader skepticism about Hollywood biopics, citing "a lot of inaccuracy" and "full-blown lies" in such productions.
Legal tensions have accompanied her criticism.
Paris has clashed with estate executors John Branca and John McClain, accusing them of financial mismanagement and lack of transparency.
Lawyers for the estate rejected her claims, describing them as without merit and accusing her of making "headline-grabbing, yet false, accusations."
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Family Tension and Legal Battles
LaToya Jackson noted the importance of family participation to ensure the story is 'right.'
Other family members have also kept their distance. Jackson's sister Janet Jackson declined to participate in the film.
Speaking at a Los Angeles screening of the flick, her sister LaToya Jackson said: "I wish everybody was in the movie."
She added: "(Janet) was asked and she kindly declined, so you have to respect her wishes."
LaToya emphasized the importance of family involvement, saying: "I think it's very important that everybody in the family was involved and took part in this to make sure you get it right."
Despite the controversy, Fuqua defended his approach to the project.
"You're telling somebody's life, you want to make sure that they're happy," Fuqua said.
He added his intention was "just to tell the facts as we know it, about the artist, about the man, about the human being – the good, bad, and the ugly."
The film arrives against the backdrop of decades of scrutiny over Jackson's life. He was accused in 1993 of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler in a civil case settled for $23million in 1994, and later faced a criminal trial in 2005 involving allegations from Gavin Arvizo, in which he was acquitted.
Jackson died in 2009, aged 50, following cardiac arrest linked to the anesthetic propofol.
