Director, Producer of Michael Jackson Biopic Made Extra $25 Million Combined to Remove Child Sex Abuse Allegations: Report
Director, Producer of Michael Jackson Biopic Made Extra $25 Million Combined to Remove Child Sex Abuse Allegations: Report
Charlotte PhillippSun, April 26, 2026 at 11:56 AM UTC
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Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in the 'Michael' biopicCredit: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate -
A new report claims that the producer and director of the new Michael Jackson biopic were paid $25 million extra after scenes mentioning the child sex abuse allegations tied to the late musician needed to be cut out and reshot
Director Antoine Fuqua was allegedly paid an extra $15 million and producer Graham King an extra $10 million after references to the allegations had to be cut out
Previous reports state that the film's original script included scenes that referenced Jackson's allegations, but had to be cut out due to a clause in the settlement between Jackson and the family of Jordan Chandler
The producer and director of the new Michael Jackson biopic were reportedly paid $25 million more than their original deal after scenes mentioning the child sex abuse allegations tied to the late musician needed to be cut out and reshot.
A new report from Bloomberg alleges that director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King were originally set to be paid $10 million and $6 million, respectively, for their work on Michael, which does not depict any of the sexual abuse allegations that surfaced against Jackson in 1993.
According to Bloomberg, Fuqua was paid an extra $15 million and King an extra $10 million after references to the allegations had to be removed.
Antoine Fuqua and Graham King speak onstage during the "Michael" Los Angeles premiere on April 20, 2026.Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
A spokesperson for King told PEOPLE that the payments were tied to "a new budget" and postponed projects amid the reshoots.
"Graham King worked on the Michael film for seven years," the spokesperson said. "Because the film needed to go back into production and a new budget developed, King and Antoine Fuqua had to postpone other projects and commitments. This was part of the newly formed budget and an advance against the film."
PEOPLE reached out to Lionsgate, the production company behind Michael, for comment. A representative for Fuqua had no comment.
In 1993, Michael was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
The Chandler family filed a civil lawsuit against Michael, accusing him of sexual battery, seduction, willful misconduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligence in a campaign to entice the boy.
Following the allegations, Michael agreed to pay the Chandler family roughly $25 million to settle the lawsuit. Chandler reportedly stopped cooperating with prosecutors after the settlement, and the investigation was subsequently closed.
Variety previously reported that the Michael film's original script included one scene in which Michael stared at himself in the mirror, capturing his gaze as police car lights flashed behind him, in 1993, just after the singer was accused of child molestation. There was also reportedly a scene in which investigators arrived at Neverland Ranch, Michael's California compound, to search for evidence in the wake of the allegations.
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However, the settlement between Chandler and Michael reportedly included an agreement that the Chandlers can never be mentioned or dramatized in a movie, and Puck reported in January 2025 that the legally binding agreement had previously been overlooked when the script was vetted and approved.
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Bloomberg reported that attorneys for Michael's estate did not realize that the settlement clause would impact the content of the movie until after the scenes had been filmed. The production then reportedly had to spend weeks reshooting the scenes.
The outlet reported that representatives for Fuqua and King secured the extra payments after the film was altered, and "box-office grosses potentially hindered."
Michael Jackson performs during the "Bad" tour at Madison Square Garden in N.Y.C. on March 3, 1988Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Michael — starring the "Thriller" singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson as the titular character — premiered in theaters on April 24, 2026. A previously shared logline for the movie said that the film would bring an "honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated" singer, whose final years before his 2009 death were marked by a string of controversies.
Days before the movie's release, Fuqua told The New Yorker that Michael originally opened with the 1993 police raid on Neverland Ranch following sex abuse allegations from Jordan Chandler.
However, the final cut that made it to theaters is instead one that ends in 1988, omitting any mention of the allegations against the "Billie Jean" singer.
The Michael Jackson estate has repeatedly denied abuse accusations made against the late singer, who was acquitted of separate child molestation charges in 2005. Additional allegations against Michael were explored in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, prompting an ongoing legal battle.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
