Spike Lee has defended Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' against critics complaining about its exclusion of the singer's child sexual abuse allegations. He argued that the claims fall outside the film's timeline, which ends in 1988. The movie has performed strongly at the box office amid the controversy.
Spike Lee, a three-time Oscar winner, praised the Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic 'Michael' in a recent CNN interview, stating he saw it twice and loved it. He addressed criticism over the omission of Jackson's 1993 child sexual abuse claims, noting, “First of all, if you’re a movie critic, and you’re complaining about the stuff, all this other stuff—but the movie ends at ’88. The stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happen [later].” Lee emphasized that the allegations “doesn’t work in the timeline of the film,” which traces Jackson's rise from the Jackson 5 to 'King of Pop' stardom in 1988. He added, “But people showed up. Worldwide, people showed their love.” He also reflected fondly on Jackson, saying, “I miss Mike. I miss Prince. I mean, these are my brothers. I worked with both of them. Both beautiful, beautiful people.” Lee previously collaborated with Jackson on the 1996 music video “They Don’t Care About Us” and documentaries “Bad 25” in 2012 and “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall” in 2016. The film's original cut reportedly exceeded three and a half hours and included elements of the allegations, but a settlement clause with accuser Jordan Chandler barred their depiction. This led to 22 additional shooting days last May and a reworked ending focused on Jackson’s relationship with his father. Fuqua told Deadline that the movie “planted the seeds” for exploring controversies in a potential sequel, explaining, “The movie is called Michael so you have to focus on Michael.” 'Michael' debuted to $97.5 million domestically on April 24 and has grossed $183.8 million in North America and $423 million or $424 million globally through its second weekend, as it enjoys a busy run.
