Colman Domingo is portraying the father of Michael Jackson in an upcoming biopic about the pop star, and the Oscar nominee responded to concerns about how the film will handle the singer’s sexual abuse cases.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday night, Domingo justified the film project by saying that “Michael Jackson is undeniably one of the most prolific artists that has ever been on this planet, and he’s a complicated human being and I think what the film will do is tell the story of a very complicated person.”
Domingo did not specifically speak on Jackson’s alleged sexual abuse, accusations that reemerged after his 2009 death when the release of a 2019 documentary titled “Leaving Neverland” brought the controversies back to light and questioned Jackson’s legacy.
The upcoming biopic is simply titled “Michael,” with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying his uncle. Domingo acknowledged to ET that he believes the film will be complicated, but “it’ll also be entertaining” and “shine a different light on Michael Jackson,” praising Jaafar Jackson in the role.
For Domingo’s part, Joe Jackson is also considered a controversial figure, as there are several accounts of the Jackson family patriarch being emotionally and physically abusive to his children.
“Michael” is due to premiere on April 18, 2025. Domingo also has several other projects lined up before it releases, including the well-received “Sing Sing,” which will come out in theaters on July 12 before a wide release on Aug. 2.