Antoine Fuqua, the director behind the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael, has shared his perspective on the late King of Pop’s sexual abuse allegations and the challenges of depicting them in the film.
In a new interview with The New Yorker, published on Monday, Fuqua revealed that he initially planned to include Jackson’s 2003 arrest in the movie. He described his original vision, stating,
I shot [Michael] being stripped naked, treated like an animal, a monster.
However, Fuqua’s approach was derailed after the Jackson estate reached a $23 million settlement with the Chandler family in 2003. The family had accused Jackson of sexually abusing their 13-year-old son, allegations the singer denied. The settlement agreement prohibited the Jackson estate from participating in depictions of events tied to the allegations, effectively barring their inclusion in the film.
Forced to pivot, Fuqua reshot parts of the movie. Instead of addressing the allegations directly, he chose to highlight Jackson’s tumultuous journey from child star to global icon as a form of defense for the deceased singer.
While Fuqua could not include the allegations in Michael, he expressed skepticism about them in his interview. According to The New Yorker, the director was not convinced that Jackson committed the acts he was accused of.
Fuqua stated,
When I hear things about us—Black people in particular, especially in a certain position—there’s always pause.He cited Elvis Presley as an example of a double standard, noting that Presley met his wife, Priscilla, when she was 14 and moved her into Graceland at 17.
Fuqua also expressed doubt about Evan Chandler, the patriarch of the Chandler family, who was recorded threatening to see Jackson “humiliated beyond belief.” Chandler died by suicide in 2009, shortly after Jackson’s death.
Though Fuqua acknowledged he does not know the truth behind the allegations, he suggested financial motives could play a role.
Sometimes people do some nasty things for some money.
Jackson faced 10 charges in 2005 related to the alleged sexual abuse of a different 13-year-old. After a 14-week trial, he was acquitted on all counts. However, the controversy resurfaced in 2019 with the documentary Leaving Neverland, which presented new allegations from two of Jackson’s accusers.
The biopic Michael, starring Jaafar Jackson as the titular pop star, is set to release in theaters on Friday.
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