Whelp, you can’t please everyone. Tension reportedly surfaced within the Jackson family following a private screening of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic in Los Angeles last week.
According to reports, Janet Jackson and her brother Jermaine Jackson argued during a phone call after family members viewed the film. The disagreement reportedly escalated into a shouting match, with the siblings expressing sharply different opinions about the project. Jermaine is said to have strongly supported the film, while Janet was highly critical of it. Jermaine’s son, Jaafar Jackson, portrays Michael in the movie.
Most of the family appears to have responded positively to the film. Reports indicate that the family matriarch, Katherine Jackson, enjoyed the project. One source claimed Janet’s reaction may be rooted in long-standing tensions.
“Janet’s always been insanely jealous of Michael, and her career is in the toilet,” the source said.
The film was produced by Michael Jackson’s estate. Janet Jackson reportedly had no role in the production and was not involved creatively, though she was allegedly invited to participate at one point. Representatives for Janet Jackson have not publicly responded to the claims.
The movie chronicles Michael Jackson’s rise to global fame, tracing his journey from his early years performing with the Jackson 5 to his later status as a groundbreaking pop superstar.
The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on April 18.
In recent years, Janet Jackson released her own documentary series, Janet Jackson, which debuted in 2022 and examined key moments from her life and career. The series also revisited the controversial 2004 Super Bowl halftime show incident involving Justin Timberlake.