Paris Jackson and Janet Jackson were absent from the premiere in Los Angeles Michael biopic on Monday, April 20, as the film’s complicated relationship with key members of the Jackson family played out on the red carpet.
Michael’s siblings Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon and Jackie Jackson were all in attendance at the event, as was Paris’ brother Prince, 29.
The film, which hits theaters on April 24, charts the late King of Pop’s early career and stars Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson, 29, as Michael, who died in 2009 aged 50.
Paris, 28, has been open about her objections to the project since last year. She read an early draft of the script and shared her concerns about its accuracy, but when they were not addressed, she walked away.
“Not my monkeys not my circus. God bless and speed,” she wrote on Instagram Stories in September 2025.
She described the finished film as “sugar coated” and accused it of containing “a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of outright lies”, while acknowledging that a certain portion of her father’s fan base would probably be happy with it.
“Go enjoy it. Do whatever. Leave me out of it,” she wrote.
Janet, 59, has not publicly commented on the film and is not a character in it.
According to one Page six report last month, she clashed with her family after Jermaine privately showed them the film, expressing reservations about nearly every aspect of the production.
Jermaine reportedly told his sister she would “miss the wave” if she didn’t get on board.
Those close to Janet have since disputed the feud reports, with her nephew Austin Brown and her longtime creative director Gil Dudulao claiming the accounts were untrue.
Page six has reported that Jermaine sees the biopic as an opportunity to restore the Jackson family’s reputation following the numerous allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael both before and after his death, allegations Michael denied throughout his life and which his family continues to deny.
“This is not just about Michael. It’s about us. It’s about our legacy. It’s about the comeback that’s in store for all of us,” a relative reportedly said after the private viewing.
Michael’s youngest son Bigi, 24, was not at the LA premiere, although he had attended the film’s premiere in Berlin earlier this month with Prince and several of their uncles.
