The Michael biopic opened to $70 million and a 96% audience score. But inside the Jackson family, the reaction has been anything but unanimous.
While some members have rallied publicly behind the film, others have stayed silent, and one voice - Michael's own daughter, Paris - has been consistently and pointedly critical since before cameras ever rolled. Here is exactly where every major family member stands, and why the divide matters.
Katherine Jackson - "That's Michael"
Producer Graham King visited Katherine Jackson at her home and showed her Jaafar in full hair and makeup before filming began. The 95-year-old was moved to tears and said simply, "That's Michael." King described it as one of the highlights of his career.
Katherine first praised the casting publicly in 2023 when Jaafar was announced, saying he "embodies" her son and that it was "so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers."
For a woman of faith who has spent decades praying over a legacy the world constantly debates, her response was not about the film's critical score. It was about recognition - a grandmother seeing her son's face again, carried by her grandson.
Prince Jackson - Produced It, Believed in It
Prince Jackson served as an executive producer on the film and, according to producer Graham King, was on set every day during filming and was deeply involved in the project's development. His emotional reaction when he first saw Jaafar in character - made clear this was never just a professional credit. It was personal.
Paris Jackson - "A Lot of Full-Blown Lies"
Paris's position is the most documented, and the most specific.
In her own words via Instagram Stories: "I wasn't involved at all, aside from giving feedback on the first draft and then getting the feedback that production was not actually going to address your notes at all. So I just butted out and left it alone because it's not my project."
She did not stop there. Paris called Hollywood biopics "sold to you as real" but "sugar-coated," and said of the film: "The narrative is being controlled. There's a lot of inaccuracy and there's a lot of full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn't really fly with me. I don't really like dishonesty."
When actor Colman Domingo publicly claimed Paris was "very much in support" of the project, she pushed back immediately, clarifying she had zero involvement and calling out the mischaracterization directly.
Paris skipped both the Berlin and Los Angeles premieres. Her absence from each was deliberate, not logistical.
Bigi Jackson - Present, But Silent
The most private of Michael's three children has said nothing publicly. He did, however, attend the April 10 premiere in Berlin - a quiet show of presence without a statement. That alone distinguished him from his sister.
La Toya Jackson - Fully Behind It
La Toya walked the red carpet at the LA premiere and praised Jaafar's performance directly: "We all forget and think that we're watching Mike. It's like, 'Oh, I forgot this is Jaafar.'" She also acknowledged Janet's absence without judgment, saying simply that her sister was asked and kindly declined.
Janet Jackson - Asked, and Said No
Janet Jackson declined to participate in the film. La Toya addressed it at the premiere: "I wish everybody was in the movie. She was asked, and she kindly declined, so you have to respect her wishes." Janet has not made any public statement about the film itself.
Taj Jackson - Defiant and Vocal
Nephew Taj Jackson - eldest son of the late Tito Jackson - took to X after the film opened and directed a message at critics: "Sorry, media, you don't get to control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was. The public gets to watch this movie... they will decide for themselves."
Why Paris May Have Had a Point
A significant part of the film's creative limitations came down to legal constraints. Early versions reportedly touched on the 1993 sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, but those references were dropped after lawyers discovered that a settlement agreement prohibited their portrayal on screen. The result, as multiple critics noted, is a portrait that feels polished but incomplete.
That is almost exactly what Paris described - long before anyone had seen the finished film.
Whether you believe she was protecting honesty or simply had a different vision of her father's story, the critics' 40% Rotten Tomatoes score and her own early warnings land remarkably close to the same place.
The Bigger Picture
What this family division really reveals is something every faith community understands: when someone we love dies, we do not all grieve the same way, remember the same things, or agree on how their story should be told.
Katherine prayed over a son the world consumed. Paris watched that same world build a film version of her father that she says doesn't tell the truth. Prince helped shape it because he believed it was the best tribute available. None of them are wrong. They are all carrying something different.
The Michael biopic is in theaters now. The Jackson family conversation around it is far from over.
