Spike Lee praises ‘Michael’; defends against controversy over exclusion of child sex abuse claims

  Filmmaker Spike Lee defended the biopic Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, saying it avoids later abuse allegations due to its timeline ending in 1988. The film starring Jaafar Jackson is performing strongly at the box office 

Los Angeles: Filmmaker Spike Lee has defended “Michael”, the new biopic on ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, against criticism that it does not show child abuse claims against the late singer.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the new biopic is a hit at the box office and features Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role.

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“First of all, if you’re a movie critic, and you’re complaining about the stuff, all this other stuff-but the movie ends at ’88. The stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happen (later),” Lee told CNN.

“So you’re critiquing the film on something that you want in, but it doesn’t work in the timeline of the film. But people showed up. Worldwide, people showed their love.” The filmmaker said he misses Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50 from acute propofol intoxication.

“I miss Mike. I miss Prince. I mean, these are my brothers. I worked with both of them. Both beautiful, beautiful people.” Fuqua had also explained why he did not include the allegations of child sexual abuse against Jackson in this movie, saying they planned to do sequel to the story later.

“Unless you can truly take your time, let’s go back to the beginning and really show people who he was on the stage. He’s a superhero on the stage. Just like a human being, movies have the power of empathy to just say this is a human being. No one is perfect,” Fuqua told Deadline.

“It was important to take the audience through a process of how do you get to wherever it’s going to go in a second movie; for people to get a bigger idea of his personality and what shaped him.” Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor in 2003. He denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty before being acquitted on all counts in 2005. After his death in 2009, other accusers have come forward.