Those who’ve seen Michael may still be wondering why Janet Jackson isn’t depicted in the biopic at all. As previously reported, the songstress opted not to be involved in Antoine Fuqua’s film about her late brother. Janet hasn’t spoken publicly about her feelings on the highly discussed 2026 movie schedule entry or officially confirmed whether she’s seen the finished production. Sources have since claimed, though, that Jackson saw a rough cut of the feature, and she purportedly “hated” it for a few reasons.
Janet Jackson has allegedly not seen the finished version of Michael, according to sources speaking with Rob Shuter for his Naughty or Nice substack. The supposed early screening Jackson took part in was apparently held months ago. Jackson – who’s reportedly not profiting from the film – has allegedly chosen not to give the production another look-over. With that, an insider claims the “Rhythm Nation” performer has specific issues with the movie (and they align with sentiments shared by a number of critics):
Janet saw an unfinished version and hated it. She thought parts of it felt inaccurate, overly sanitized, and emotionally manipulative.
Critics have complained that Michael offers a surface-level examination of the late “Thriller” singer and glosses over some of the more controversial aspects of his life. Mostly notably, the film doesn’t address the child sexual abuse allegations leveled against Jackson in 1993. Those legal issues were originally meant to be included, but Jackson’s estate later caught a legal stipulation that prevented one of the alleged victims from being portrayed. With the ending rendered “unusable,” it was reportedly reshot for no less than $10 million.
Sources also previously claimed that the “ugliest chapters” of Michael Jackson’s life were kept out due to the efforts of his mother, Katherine, and two of his kids, Paris and Bigi. On that note, upon seeing that early cut of the film for herself, Janet supposedly took issue with the depiction of her family:
There were heated conversations behind the scenes. Janet was especially upset about how certain family dynamics were presented. She made it clear she wanted distance from the entire thing.
While critics have mostly been down on Michael, audiences seem to disagree with their assessments. Early reactions to the film included particular praise for Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal of his late uncle. Another source provided purported information regarding whether Janet Jackson’s disdain for that rough cut extended to her nephew:
Her issue was never Jaafar. Her issue was the movie itself.
As of this writing, Michael, which is still playing in theaters, has earned over $614 million worldwide at the box office against a reported production budget between $155 and $200 million. Lionsgate has yet to formally announce a sequel that would theoretically cover the latter half of Jackson’s life. However, it’s been suggested that plans have been set in motion for such a film, with execs believing “more story can” be told.
Simultaneously, there are some fans who’ve asserted that a Janet Jackson movie could also work. However, Jackson’s desire not to be involved with her brother’s biopic may suggest she’s not eager to have her own life dramatized. To that point, another source said, Janet “simply did not want to become part of another Jackson family media storm,” given she “spent years protecting her peace.”
