Michael Jackson’s nephew responds to negative coverage of biopic

• Michael Jackson's nephew, Taj Jackson, has criticised media coverage of the forthcoming biopic 'Michael', saying that the public will decide the narrative.
• The film, starring Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has received largely negative reviews ahead of its release, holding a 36 per cent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Critics have described the biopic as “ghoulish, soulless cash grab”, ”frustratingly shallow”, and ”depressing”, with some noting it “isn’t really a biopic”.
• The film, approved and financed by Jackson's estate, concludes in 1988 and omits the child sexual abuse allegations made against him, which have drawn backlash.
• Director Antoine Fuqua confirmed he initially planned to include Jackson's 2003 arrest, but reshoots, reportedly costing between $10m-$15m and funded by the estate, removed such depictions due to a prior settlement.

IN FULL

Michael Jackson’s nephew says critics will ‘eat crow’ as biopic opens to poor reviews