Spike Lee Candidly Rejects Michael Jackson Biopic's Biggest Criticism

5 days ago 8

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in Michael (2026)

Published May 3, 2026, 8:15 PM EDT

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Spike Lee had a very straightforward response to the biggest problem critics had with the new film, Michael.

Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a musical biopic that focuses on the life and career of Michael Jackson. The film follows his journey from his early days with the Jackson 5 in the 1960s through his rise in fame in the 1980s. The movie showcases his talent, complicated relationship with his father, and the pressures that come with the industry. The King of Pop was portrayed by his real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson.

After its release, the Jackson biopic received a lot of backlash over omitting the accusations of sexual assault and the lawsuits that followed. However, Lee pointed out something a lot of people seemed to miss, and it's something that actually justified why those elements of Jackson's life were missing. Michael was set between 1966 and 1988, which was several years before Jackson was hit by the lawsuits and allegations.

The first claim made against Jackson occurred in 1993 when the family of John Chandler (who was 13 at the time) filed a civil suit against the pop star. The case was later settled out of court in 1994 for $22 million. And, this validates Lee's statement to CNN. The actor said that it wouldn't make any sense for a film that took place years prior to the first accusation to feature any of the things the creative team left out because it wouldn't fit the timeline.

Lee stated that despite what the critics had to say, people still showed up to watch the film. He said that he, himself, loved Michael, revealing that he watched the biopic twice. He explained how much he loved working with Jackson. The two collaborated on a music video in 1996 for "They Don't Care About Us." Lee also directed Bad 25 and Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall. He added that he loved him as an individual, too. He called the King of Pop a beautiful person and said that he misses him a lot.

I loved it [the film]. If you're a movie critic, and you're complaining about the other stuff [that was left out], the movie ended in '88 before the accusations happened. You're critiquing something that you want in there but doesn't make sense with the timeline.

However, it should be noted that the movie was originally supposed to feature scenes that depicted the singer's legal troubles. The creative team initially intended to show the authorities investigating Neverland Ranch. But those scenes were ultimately removed from the final cut of Michael because a clause in Chandler's settlement stated that no one was allowed to use his likeness or mention him in any films. Instead, they had to rewrite the entire final act and call the cast back to shoot more scenes.

Michael is currently playing in theaters now.