Jaafar Jackson says 'Michael' sequel will address child abuse allegations
The planned sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" will tackle the child abuse allegations that shadowed the singer's later years, according to star Jaafar Jackson. In an interview with GQ Middle East reported by Variety, Jackson said the second film aims to give "more insight" and let Michael's "voice be heard." He noted the first film, which ended with the 1987 release of "Bad," only covered the first half of Jackson's career, before the first allegation surfaced in 1993.
Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael Jackson's nephew, said he hopes the sequel provides a deeper understanding of his uncle's perspective. "It's someone else's story," he told the outlet. "It's someone else's idea of what it is, and it's mainly driven by an agenda. And that's really the issue we've been having as a family - not having Michael's voice being heard."
He described the two-part feature as an opportunity to show Jackson's character, claiming the singer maintained his purity and kindness despite the controversies. "No matter all the stuff he went through, how he was treated, what things were said about him, he never stopped treating people with kindness," Jaafar Jackson said.
Variety reports the actor acknowledged he doesn't have much say in the screenplay, but he expressed hope that the second movie will convey Michael Jackson's humanity. The first "Michael" film was a box office hit this summer, surpassing $1 billion globally.
