<p id=”par-1_57″>Spike Lee recently defended <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/nia-long-confident-michael-jackson-happy-new-biopic.html/”>the Michael Jackson biopic</a> <em>Michael</em> against criticism that it did not include the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/leaving-neverland-director-says-michael-jackson-worse-jeffrey-epstein.html/”>allegations of child sexual abuse</a> against the singer. An early version of the film reportedly did delve into the allegations, but a lawsuit kept the film from including them in the finished product. Lee defended the film against its detractors. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-michael-biopic-removed-references-to-his-sexual-abuse-allegations”>The ‘Michael’ biopic removed references to his sexual abuse allegations</h2>
<p id=”par-2_26″>According to <em>Michael</em> director Antoine Fuqua, he shot footage of Jackson — played by <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/michael-jackson-nephew-jaafar-jackson-controversial-biopic.html/”>his real nephew</a>, Jafaar Jackson — reckoning with the allegations against him. </p>
<p id=”par-3_17″>“I shot him being stripped naked, treated like an animal, a monster,” he told <a href=”https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/27/antoine-fuqua-profile” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The New Yorker</a>.</p>
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<p id=”par-4_50″>Multiple people have accused Jackson of abusing them when they were children, and Jackson himself discussed sharing a bed with young boys. Fuqua noted that while he doesn’t know the truth behind the allegations, he is wary of believing them, noting, “Sometimes people do some nasty things for some money.”</p>
<p id=”par-5_59″>The allegations of child sexual abuse against Jackson did not make the film because of a settlement with one of the singer’s accusers. It included a clause that said he could not be mentioned in any movie about Jackson. As a result, the filmmakers had to end the movie several years earlier than intended, costing <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/michael-jacksons-estate-spend-15-million-removing-child-biopic.html/”>an estimated $15 million</a>.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-spike-lee-defended-the-michael-jackson-biopic”>Spike Lee defended the Michael Jackson biopic</h2>
<p id=”par-6_31″>While the film could not legally include information about this accuser, many critics have noted that it feels disingenuous to tell Jackson’s story <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/leaving-neverland-director-says-michael-biopic-inauthentic-cash-grab.html/”>without including the allegations</a>. Lee said he disagrees.</p>
<p id=”par-7_67″>“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,” Lee told <a href=”https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/02/entertainment/video/spike-lee-slams-film-critics-who-panned-new-michael-jackson-film-lcl” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>CNN</a>. “The stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happen [later]. So you’re critiquing the film on something that you want in, but it doesn’t work in the timeline of the film. But <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/michael-jackson-biopic-box-office-records.html/”>people showed up</a>. Worldwide, people showed their love.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_12″>Lee knew Jackson personally and said he misses him a great deal.</p>
<p id=”par-9_15″>“I miss Mike. I miss Prince,” he said, adding, “I mean, these are my brothers.” </p>
<p id=”par-10_7″>He also spoke glowingly about the singer.</p>
<p id=”par-11_12″>“I worked with both of them,” he said. “Both beautiful, beautiful people</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-spike-lee-directed-two-films-about-michael-jackson”>Spike Lee directed two films about Michael Jackson</h2>
<p id=”par-12_39″>In 1996, Lee directed the music video for Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us.” He also directed the films <em>Bad 25 </em>and <em>Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall</em>. Lee spoke highly of Jackson’s work ethic.</p>
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<p id=”par-13_37″>“Michael was great,” he told <a target=”_blank” href=”https://time.com/archive/6910112/spike-lee-remembers-michael-jackson/” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Time</a>. “He had a sense of humor. He worked hard. People talk about how hard Kobe Bryant works; he didn’t work harder than Michael Jackson. This is what I’ve come to learn.”</p>
<p id=”par-14_14″>He noted that Jackson had always been his favorite member of the Jackson 5.</p>