Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' omits abuse allegations due to legal clause

The biopic 'Michael', directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, was released on April 23, 2026, after a one-year delay. Originally scheduled for April 2025, the film was intended to address the 1993 child abuse allegations from Jordan Chandler's family. However, the third act was cut because the Michael Jackson Estate discovered a clause in the 1994 settlement with the Chandler family that prohibits mentioning the case in any film. The excised portion, according to New York Times journalist Mark Binelli who obtained the original script, was designed to portray Jackson as innocent and the accusers as extortionists. The film now ends in the late 1980s, focusing on Jackson's career and his relationship with his authoritarian father Joe Jackson, played by Colman Domingo. The Michael Jackson Estate, managed by John Branca and John McClain, has been rehabilitating Jackson's image since 2009 through celebratory projects and legal actions against critical works. The estate previously sued HBO over the documentary 'Leaving Neverland' (2019), which was removed from HBO Max in 2024. 'Michael' is projected to earn over $55 million in its opening weekend in the US, with Lionsgate targeting $700 million globally. Meanwhile, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, subjects of 'Leaving Neverland', have a civil case against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures scheduled for trial in California in November 2026. The Cascio family also filed a civil suit in Los Angeles in March 2026.