Paris Jackson has been unambiguous: she doesn’t want to be associated with the forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic, and the late singer’s estate has pushed back in a way that’s intensified the dispute.
Now 27, Jackson has repeatedly taken aim at Michael, due out next month, arguing the film presents a version of events she doesn’t accept. She has framed it as part of a wider pattern of ‘Hollywood’ projects that are ‘sold to you as real’, despite being filled with ‘inaccuracy’ and even ‘full-blown lies’.
Her objections extend beyond the movie itself. Jackson has also criticized estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain, accusing them of questionable financial decision-making and insufficient openness about how the estate has been managed since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009.
TMZ reports that during a court appearance earlier this month, Jackson referred to the film as a ‘botched production’. A central point of contention appears to be the size of the budget, with estimates placing the project at roughly $150 million.
She also challenged specific spending choices tied to the project, including the decision to cast Miles Teller as Branca, suggesting it was an expensive move without an obvious financial payoff.
Jackson additionally pointed to the cost of reshoots and why they were needed, saying: “The estate has had to fund tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after the terms of a well-known settlement agreement prevented the production from using substantial amounts of footage already shot.”
That comment refers to reporting that the film initially intended to depict allegations that Jackson molested Jordan Chandler in 1993, when he was 13. However, a $25 million settlement agreement from 2004 reportedly prohibits Chandler and his family from being mentioned or dramatized in a film.
The estate’s legal team has forcefully disputed Jackson’s portrayal of events.
In a statement to TMZ, attorney Jonathan Steinsapir called Jackson’s claims ‘without merit’ and suggested her side was making ‘headline-grabbing’ accusations.
He also argued that she and her lawyers were rehashing matters that had already been resolved, and claimed their focus was more on ‘media games’ than on the underlying facts.
Steinsapir further defended Branca and McClain by highlighting the estate’s financial trajectory, saying: “Ms Jackson has already received roughly $65 million in benefits and stands to inherit many hundreds of millions more.
“This is from an estate that was $500 million in debt and facing bankruptcy at the time of Michael’s death, but was turned by the executors into a business generating billions in revenue.”
He also maintained that pursuing a large-scale biopic about one of the world’s most famous entertainers was a sensible and necessary business decision, saying it would have been ‘irresponsible not to’ do so.
Despite that defense, Jackson says she has deliberately kept away from the production. She also publicly rebutted remarks by Colman Domingo that suggested she had assisted him with his role.
Domingo, who portrays Joe Jackson in Michael, told People last year that Paris and her brother Prince were ‘very much in support of our film’.
He added that he and Jackson had ‘chatted briefly’ and that she had been ‘nothing but lovely and warm’ to him.
Jackson later responded on Instagram with a pointed clarification: “@Kingofbingo don’t be telling people I was helpful on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol that is so weird.
“I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my thoughts on what was dishonest/didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it I moved on with my life.
“Not my monkeys not my circus. God bless and god speed.”