Michael, starring the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson, premiered in theaters on April 24, 2026, after several delays
NEED TO KNOW
-
The biopic ends in 1988, omitting any mention of the child sex abuse allegations Michael Jackson faced in the final decades of his life
-
Director Antoine Fuqua confirmed to The New Yorker that the film originally included scenes covering allegations from 13-year-old Jordan Chandler
TheMichael Jacksonbiopic chronicles a large portion of the musician's career, but it notably leaves out some pivotal — and controversial — moments of his life.
Michael– starring the "Thriller" singer's nephewJaafar Jacksonas the titular character — premiered in theaters on April 24, 2026, over three years after the project was first announced. A previously shared logline for the movie said that the film would bring an "honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated" singer, whose final years before his2009 deathwere marked by a string of controversies.
Days before the movie's release, director Antoine Fuqua toldThe New YorkerthatMichaeloriginally opened with the 1993 police raid on Neverland Ranch, the singer's infamous California compound, following sex abuse allegations from 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
"Ishot [Michael] being stripped naked, treated like an animal, a monster," Fuqua said.
But, the final cut that made it to theaters is instead one that ends in 1988, omitting any mention of the singer's troubling history.
So, why isn't Michael Jackson's 1993 child sex abuse lawsuit covered in theMichaelbiopic? Here's what to know.
What was Michael accused of in his 1993 lawsuit?
In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
According toThe New York Times, the young boy, who was not named at the time, accused the singer of molesting him repeatedly over a five-month period. The young boy alleged that Jackson frequently bathed with him, shared a bed with him and showered him with gifts and trips, as well as fondling him and performing various sex acts with him, per the outlet.
In return, the Chandler family filed a civil lawsuit against Jackson, accusing him of sexual battery, seduction, willful misconduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligence in a campaign to entice the boy.
What was the result of the lawsuit?
Following the allegations, Jackson agreed to pay the Chandler family roughly $25 million to settle the lawsuit. Chandler reportedly stopped cooperating with prosecutors after the settlement, and the investigation was subsequently closed, perThe New Yorker.
The Jackson estate has repeatedly denied abuse accusations made against the late singer, who wasacquitted of separate child molestation chargesin 2005. Additional allegations against Jackson were explored in the 2019 documentaryLeaving Neverland,prompting an ongoing legal battle.
Advertisement
Why isn't the lawsuit included in the Michael movie?
The allegations from Chandler and the aftermath were reportedly akey "backbone" of the movie,Puckreported in January 2025.
According toVariety, the film's original script included one scene in which Jackson stared at himself in the mirror, capturing his gaze as police car lights flashed behind him, in 1993, just after the singer was accused of child molestation. Per the outlet, there was also reportedly a scene in which investigators arrived at Neverland Ranch to search for evidence in the wake of the allegations.
Notably, both scenes did not make it to the final cut because the settlement between Chandler and Jackson reportedly included an agreement that the Chandlers can never be mentioned or dramatized in a movie, perPuck.
According to the outlet, the legally binding agreement had previously been overlooked when the script had been vetted and approved.
How did the lawsuit affect theMichaelbiopic?
Shortly after reports surfaced that the biopic was disrupted by the legal issues, a source close to production told PEOPLE in January 2025 that the film was "not in total chaos," and that they had reshoots slated for that March.Varietyreported that much of the third act was devoted to the sexual abuse allegations that surfaced in 1993, leaving them to rework the biopic's finale, which now concludes in 1988.
The film ultimately had a year-long delay, as it was originally intended to premiere in theaters on April 18, 2025.
In November 2024, it was postponed by six months to Oct. 3, 2025. In May 2025, however, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said during the studio's Q4 2025 earnings call that the biopic wasunlikely to hit theaters before the end of 2025, and it later received its new premiere date of April 24, 2026. Elsewhere in the call, Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson confirmed that they were now considering splitting the biopic into two parts, perDeadline.
The delays and reshoots also led to financial repercussions. According toVariety, when the cast reassembled for 22 additional days in June 2025 for reshoots, it added $10 to $15 million to the budget.
The outlet also reported that the Jackson estate covered the extra costs because it was their error that made the changes needed, and as a result, they also received an equity stake in the film.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article onPeople
