Why isn’t Janet Jackson in the ‘Michael’ biopic? La Toya Jackson explains her absence

Sorry, fans of Ms. Janet Jackson: The singer will not be featured in the new biopic about her late brother Michael Jackson.

Director Antoine Fuqua’s film Michael, about the controversial King of Pop’s rise to fame, is in theaters now. It stars 29-year-old Jaafar Jackson, the son of Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, in the titular role.

The film explores Michael’s personal and professional life, beginning with his childhood in the Jackson 5. It features most of his family, including his mother, Katherine; his father and manager, Joe; his sister, La Toya; and the other original members of the Jackson 5, his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon.

Janet, however, who shot to fame in the 1980s, will not be portrayed in Michael , despite having a close relationship with the pop star. At the Los Angeles premiere on Monday, the real La Toya explained why.

“I wish everybody was in the movie,” La Toya told Variety. “She was asked and she kindly declined so you have to respect her wishes.”

Fuqua also spoke to the outlet about Janet’s absence, saying, “I have so much respect and love for Janet, but you know it’s OK. She’s supportive of Jaafar and that’s what matters.”

In March, Page Six reported that Janet had numerous criticisms of the film after a private screening with other members of the Jackson family.

The biopic received support from Michael’s estate and many members of the Jackson family, including Michael’s 29-year-old son, Prince, who was reportedly on set every day during production. Bigi, Michael’s 24-year-old son, also showed his support by appearing at an earlier Berlin premiere.

In an interview with ABC News, Prince praised the film, saying: “My father is probably one of the most misunderstood people out there, and I hope you get a glimpse into the life — and the cause and effect — that made him who he was.”

Prince also said that it was an “emotional shock” seeing Jaafar in his hair and makeup for the first time, because of how much he resembled his late father.

“It was difficult to maintain and keep composure, because I really just wanted to give him a hug in that moment,” he said.

The week of the film’s release, Michael’s nephew, Taj Jackson, the son of Tito Jackson, took to X to praise the film and his uncle’s legacy. “Sorry media, u don’t get to control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was,” Taj wrote. “The public gets to watch this movie…they will decide for themselves. And you can’t handle that.”

However, Michael’s daughter, Paris, 28, said she had “0% involvement” with the production and criticized it, saying in an Instagram story last year that she “read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my thoughts on what was dishonest [and] didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it I moved on with my life.”

“A big section of the film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy,” she added in a subsequent post, “and they’re gonna be happy with it.”