Michael Jackson biopic star explains why movie ignores sexual assault allegations

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The new Michael Jackson biopic doesn’t address the accusations of sexual assault against the singer. Colman Domingo, who portrays Jackson’s father in the film, has explained the filmmakers’ decision to avoid the topic.

This biopic tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life, starting with his childhood and early days with the Jackson 5, and then his successful solo career. Two actors portray Jackson: Juliano Krue Valdi as a young Michael, and his nephew, Jafaar Jackson, as the adult singer – a particularly meaningful casting choice.

Despite the hype, critics haven’t reacted well to the film Michael, which currently has a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 130 reviews. The movie focuses on the singer’s early career, tracing his incredible success from the 1960s through his 1988 ‘Bad’ tour. Notably, it avoids addressing the serious allegations of sexual assault made against him in 1993.

So, that whole legal battle lasted a year, but things flared up again in 2003 when another kid came forward with accusations. Thankfully, Michael was found not guilty after a trial in 2005. Now, Colman Domingo, who’s playing Michael in this new movie, is explaining why they decided not to really focus on that part of his life in the biopic.

Colman Domingo says the film is about Michael Jackson’s origin story

During an interview on the Today Show, Colman Domingo responded to criticism that the film glossed over serious allegations against Michael Jackson. He hinted that a potential follow-up movie could explore those more challenging aspects of Jackson’s life and career.

The movie covers Michael’s life from the 1960s up to 1988, and doesn’t include the allegations that surfaced in 2005. It’s a personal look at Michael Jackson, told from his perspective.

We might make a sequel to explore what happened after the events in this film. This movie focuses on Michael’s upbringing and his journey to becoming a successful solo artist – that’s everything I want to share about it for now.

Both Domingo and Nia Long, who portrays Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine, mentioned they aren’t sure if a sequel is planned. While we wait to see how the film performs in theaters, here’s a look at the movies scheduled for release in 2026.

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2026-04-23 12:48