Taj Jackson Slams Media Coverage Ahead of ‘Michael’ Release

With the release of the new Michael just days away, the conversation around the film has picked up again online. This time, a member of the Jackson family has publicly criticized media coverage and defended how the story is being presented.

Taj Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson and son of Tito Jackson, shared strong comments on social media platform X. His posts were aimed at what he sees as long-running media narratives about his uncle.

He said the public should be able to judge the film for themselves once it is released. In one of his posts, he wrote, “The media can no longer control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was. The public gets to watch this movie… they will decide for themselves,” adding, “And you can’t handle that.”

The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua and supported by the Jackson estate, follows Michael Jackson’s life from his early years with the Jackson 5 through his rise to global superstardom. The story mainly focuses on his peak fame years, including his major success in the late 1980s.

Reports from the production note that the film originally included a storyline covering later allegations made against Jackson in the 1990s. However, legal issues tied to past agreements involving the estate led to changes in the script. This resulted in a revised ending and additional reshoots that added significant cost and production time.

Industry tracking suggests the film is expected to perform strongly at the box office, with early projections estimating a solid domestic opening and large worldwide earnings. At the same time, early critical response has been mixed, with review aggregators showing a low approval score ahead of release.

Taj Jackson also reacted to early criticism of the film, saying, “Can’t wait ‘till some critics have to eat crow,” and added, “And yes I will be that petty.”

All of this comes as attention builds ahead of the film’s Friday release, with both supporters and critics continuing to debate how Michael Jackson’s story is being told on screen.

This situation shows how sensitive biopics can be, especially when they involve real people and a complicated legacy. Once the film comes out, viewers will have to decide for themselves how they feel about it. What do you think about Taj Jackson’s comments and the upcoming biopic? Share your thoughts in the comments.