Michael Jackson’s sons Blanket and Prince showed their support for the late King of Pop’s new biopic at its Berlin premiere on Friday, while daughter Paris was noticeably absent from the screening.
The two brothers were joined by several members of the Jackson family, including Jermaine and Randy, at the premiere of the film Michael.
The $150 million movie – which reportedly underwent costly reshoots after concerns it breached an NDA and depicted 1993 sexual abuse allegations against the late star as false – is set for release on April 22.
Blanket (aka Bigi), 24, wore a sharp suit featuring a patch referencing his father’s iconic moonwalk, while Prince, 29, also cut a smart figure as the pair smiled on stage alongside Hollywood stars Miles Teller and Nia Long, who appear in the film.
The family affair didn’t stop there, with Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson Jackson taking centre stage after stepping into the role of his famous uncle. Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson taking centre stage after stepping into the role of his famous uncle.
However, Paris’s absence was particularly notable, coming just hours after the Daily Mail reported she has ‘come to believe that the stories about her father being a pedophile are likely true.’
Michael Jackson ’s sons Blanket and Prince showed their support for the late King of Pop’s new biopic at its Berlin premiere on Friday, while daughter Paris was noticeably absent from the screening
The two brothers were joined by several members of the Jackson family at the premiere of the film Michael; (Blanket, Prince, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, and Marlon Jackson)
The model and actress, 28, was seen running errands in Los Angeles on Friday in a laid-back ensemble, with the Berlin premiere seemingly the last thing on her mind.
The no-show comes just weeks after Paris criticized the upcoming biopic, calling it ‘dishonest’ and a ‘fantasy,’ while also stepping up her claims against the executors of her late father’s estate who are behind the project.
Paris’s legal dispute with John Branca and John McClain escalated last year when she accused them of financial mismanagement, a lack of transparency, and wasting estate resources since Jackson’s death in 2009.
She has reportedly received around $65 million from the estate, but believes its lawyers may have overcharged and benefited from excessive fees and gratuities during their 16 years in charge.
The model and singer has also questioned why they remain involved so many years after Jackson died aged 50 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his Los Angeles home in 2009.
Paris claimed the co-executors used estate funds to bankroll risky entertainment ventures, including the Michael biopic itself.
Paris said it’s ‘troubling’ to her that Branca and McClain used estate funds to finance most if not all of the film’s $150 million budget, calling it a ‘botched production.’
She also questioned Branca’s decision to cast Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller as himself in the biopic, saying it’s ‘unclear how this peculiar and presumably costly casting decision will result in commensurate box office receipts.’
Blanket (aka Bigi), 24, wore a sharp suit featuring a patch referencing his father’s iconic moonwalk, while Prince, 29, also cut a smart figure as the pair smiled on stage alongside Hollywood stars Miles Teller and Nia Long, who appear in the film
The event was something of a family affair as Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson took on the role of his famous uncle
The singer and model added that Branca’s lack of experience as a film producer ‘may be the root of reports that the estate has had to fund tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after the terms of a well-known settlement agreement prevented the production from using substantial amounts of footage already shot.’
However, lawyers for the estate hit back, claiming Paris and her legal team have ‘either not been paying attention over the past several years or simply want to object for objections’ sake.’
They added that she and her lawyers ‘seem far more interested in playing media games by making headline-grabbing, yet false, accusations; raising specific “concerns” over issues previously addressed and resolved, and staging tabloid press photo ops strutting into hearings with obvious props.’
They said the executors have extensive producing experience and have been behind a number of successful projects involving Jackson.
These include the Cirque du Soleil shows and MJ the Musical on Broadway.
Estate lawyers insisted Paris’s claims about financial mismanagement are unfounded, arguing it would be ‘irresponsible not to explore a major motion picture based on Michael Jackson’s life,’ pointing to the success of Bohemian Rhapsody as a comparison.
They also claimed Paris and her legal team declined an invitation to meet directly with them.
Back in September, Paris wrote on Instagram that she ‘read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest / didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it i moved on with my life. not my monkeys not my circus. god bless and god speed.
However, Paris’s absence was particularly notable, coming just hours after the Daily Mail reported she has ‘ come to believe that the stories about her father being a pedophile are likely true’
The model and actress, 28, was seen running errands in Los Angeles on Friday in a laid-back ensemble, with the Berlin premiere seemingly the last thing on her mind
The no-show comes just weeks after Paris criticized the upcoming biopic, calling it ‘dishonest’ and a ‘fantasy’; (Michael Jackson, Blanket, an unidentified guest, Paris and Prince)
‘They’re gonna make whatever they’re gonna make. The big reason why I haven’t said anything up until this point is because I know a lot of you guys are gonna be happy with it,’ Paris said of Michael.
‘The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it.’
She clarified at the time ‘that I wasn’t involved at all’ and said she generally dislikes biopics.
‘The thing about these biopics is it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasy land — it’s not real,’ Paris said.
‘But it’s sold to you as real, and a lot of sugar-coated… 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.’