'Michael Jackson Was A Paedophile’: Dan Reed Blasts King Of Pop's Biopic

Emmy-winning director Dan Reed slams the Michael Jackson biopic Michael as a "false narrative" that whitewashes abuse claims by portraying him as an innocent kid-lover.

Poster of Michael Jackson's biopic Michael.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Leaving Neverland director criticizes biopic's
• Biopic scenes portray Jackson's interactions with children as benign.
• Director defends accusers, criticizes biopic's
• Film garners mixed reviews but strong box office in India.

A fiery clash erupts over Michael Jackson's new biopic Michael, as the director of Leaving Neverland blasts it for ignoring child abuse claims. Dan Reed calls the film a "false narrative" that paints the pop icon as innocent fun-loving kid-lover, flipping truth upside down. With fans packing theaters despite backlash, will this controversy dim the King of Pop's glow? 

 Dan Reed's Strong Criticism On Biopic

Emmy-winning filmmaker Dan Reed, director of the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, has slammed the biopic Michael for promoting a "false narrative" about Michael Jackson's alleged sexual abuse of children. In an interview with Variety, Reed said the film "just flips the truth on its head" by showing Jackson only in a positive light with kids. He argued that portraying Jackson as "an eccentric, overgrown child" distorts his real relationship with children, which is "not the full story." 

 Scenes That Upset Dan Reed

Reed felt "really icky" about biopic scenes where Jackson visits sick children in a hospital cancer ward, as they suggest his time with kids was "entirely benign and motivated by nothing but philanthropy." He stressed, "I'm not calling for Jackson to be 'canceled' and for nobody to listen to his music, but Wade and James' story needs to be respected as well." Reed noted the movie portrays accusers like Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who shared abuse accounts in Leaving Neverland, as liars without saying it outright. The biopic ends in the 1980s, dodging later allegations, and offers no counter-story from Jackson's estate or writers. 

Clapback At Director Fuqua

Reed hit back at Michael director Antoine Fuqua's comment that "sometimes people do nasty things for money" about the accusers. "Someone who's made tens of millions pushing a false narrative around a man who's a paedophile, that's a nasty thing," Reed replied. He added, "Mr. Fuqua has described his own actions while attempting to smear the protagonists of my documentary, and that makes me laugh." 

Michael Biopic Details And Box Office

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew as the lead, with Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. It covers Jackson's rise from Jackson 5 in the 1960s to solo hits like Off the Wall and Thriller. Critics slam it for "whitewashing" Jackson's image, but fans love it, in India alone, it has earned Rs 21.15 crore so far. Leaving Neverland won an Emmy, though Jackson's estate called it "a complete fiction" that is "completely one-sided."