Emmy-winning filmmaker Dan Reed has come forward to slam the biopic 'Michael', claiming it promotes a 'false narrative' on Michael Jackson's alleged abuse allegations. Reed, who made 'Leaving Neverland' documenting the allegations, argued that the film turns the truth 'on its head' in its portrayal of the late singer.
In an interview with Variety, Reed spoke about the biopic, which stars Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. He feels the 'issue of his relationship with children is completely distorted' by the film's portrayal of Jackson as an 'eccentric, overgrown child', which Reed says is not the full story.
Talking about the scenes of Jackson with children visiting sick kids in a hospital, Reed said, 'That made me feel really icky. It suggests that Jackson's engagement with children was entirely benign and motivated by nothing but philanthropy... I'm not calling for Jackson to be 'canceled' and for nobody to listen to his music, but Wade and James' story needs to be respected as well.'
Reed also criticized Antoine Fuqua's remark on abuse allegations against MJ, stating that 'sometimes people do nasty things for money'. Reed responded, 'Someone who's made tens of millions pushing a false narrative around a man who's a paedophile, that's a nasty thing.'
The biopic 'Michael' has received negative reviews from critics, with many criticizing the film for 'whitewashing' and 'sanitising' the singer's image. However, it has still managed to attract a large audience in India, making ₹21.15 crore till now.
