Jaafar Jackson, who portrays his uncle Michael Jackson in the biopic Michael, has confirmed that the planned sequel will address the child sexual abuse allegations against the late singer. In an interview with GQ Middle East, Jaafar stated that the second film will offer more insight from Michael's perspective, arguing that previous accounts have been driven by others' agendas. The first film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, concludes in 1987, before the first allegations emerged, and is already in development for a follow-up at Lionsgate.
Sequel to present Jackson's point of view
Speaking to GQ Middle East, Jaafar said he wants audiences to hear his uncle's 'point of view,' noting that prior narratives have come from other people. 'I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view, because at the end of the day, [the allegations] are always from someone else's,' he said. 'It's someone else's story. It's someone else's idea of what it is, and it's mainly driven by an agenda.'
Jaafar, the son of Michael's older brother Jermaine Jackson, added that his family has long been frustrated by the absence of Michael's own perspective in discussions about the accusations. 'And that's really the issue we've been having as a family – not having Michael's voice being heard,' he continued. 'I think that's very, very important, especially in the late years.'
Allegations and legal history
Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 aged 50, faced allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime, which he consistently denied. In 1993, he was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. A civil lawsuit was settled in 1994 without an admission of wrongdoing, and a criminal investigation did not result in charges. A decade later, Jackson was charged with offences including child molestation following separate allegations; after a highly publicised trial in 2005, he was acquitted on all counts.
Further allegations were made after his death, most prominently by Wade Robson and James Safechuck, whose accounts were featured in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. Jackson's estate has strongly rejected their allegations.
First film's approach and family perspective
The first film, Michael, sidesteps the issue by ending years before the accusations began. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, it focuses on Jackson's early life, his rise with The Jackson 5, and his emergence as a solo superstar, culminating with the release of his Bad album era. Fuqua previously revealed that material concerning the allegations had originally been part of the project before the decision was made to split Jackson's story.
Jaafar said establishing who his uncle was before the controversies was important to understanding the story. 'This first film focuses on Michael from his roots,' he explained. 'So you get that idea of who he was before he had all the success and became the icon that people are familiar with, you understand who he was as a human being first.'
Jaafar, who remembers his uncle from childhood, told GQ that despite everything Michael experienced, his fundamental character remained unchanged. 'He never changed that purity, that sense of always wanting to find the good in other people,' Jaafar said. 'And 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.' He continued: 'He never stopped believing in and wanting to look for the good in people… even though he was broken, his heart still stayed the same.' Jaafar added that he hopes 'this is felt in the second movie'.
Sequel's approach and scrutiny
Jaafar's remarks suggest the sequel will not simply acknowledge the allegations but attempt to examine their effect on Jackson from the perspective of the singer and his family. That approach is likely to attract considerable scrutiny, particularly given the Jackson estate's involvement with the films and its longstanding rejection of allegations against him. The first instalment has already faced questions about how objective a biopic made with the cooperation of Jackson's estate can be, especially when tackling one of the most controversial celebrity legacies in modern history.
Michael stars Jaafar opposite Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Jackson's parents Joe and Katherine, while Miles Teller plays the singer's lawyer and adviser John Branca. The sequel is in development at Lionsgate, with Jaafar's comments providing the clearest indication yet of the perspective from which the allegations will be presented.
