Colman Domingo addresses the controversy surrounding the upcoming biopic Michael. Domingo plays Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, in Michael, which chronicles the rise and early career of the King of Pop. Michael is directed by Training Day and The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua, and written by John Logan. In addition to Domingo, Michael features a leading cast including Miles Teller, Kat Graham, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Jafaar Jackson, and Larenz Tate.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Domingo reacts to the controversy surrounding Michael. The actor’s spin on Michael was that the film would “tell the story of a very complicated person.” Domingo also went on to praise Jackson as an artist, saying that he is “undeniably one of the most prolific artists that has ever been on this planet.” Overall, the actor said that Michael will “shine a different light on Michael Jackson.” Check out the full quote from Domingo below:

“[Michael will] tell the story of a very complicated person

Michael Jackson is undeniably one of the most prolific artists that has ever been on this planet. He’s a complicated human being and I think what the film will do is tell the story of a very complicated person.

Everyone has a story. [The film will] shine a different light on Michael Jackson.”

Why Michael Is So Controversial Explained

As Domingo addresses in his quote, Jackson himself was an extremely complex figure during his life. As Domingo’s portrayal of Joe Jackson will likely address, it is oft-known that Michael and the other members of the Jackson 5 were put under immense pressure by their father while they were child stars. Catapulted into fame and its risks so early on in his life, this set Jackson up for a tumultuous existence, and created a stiltedness that was often reflected in his offbeat personality in interviews during his life.

After his death, Jackson’s legacy was further complicated by the release of the docuseries Leaving Neverland. The series chronicles Jackson’s child predation allegations of two young boys that he reportedly groomed during the height of his fame. More recently, Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has called the biopic Michael “startlingly disingenuous.” This has led to the assumption that Michael will ignore Jackson’s child molestation allegation, instead presenting a sugar-coated version of the figure when focusing on his rise to fame.

Like Jackson’s allegations themselves, this backlash is not as cut-and-dry as it could be. While Reed’s comments about the film raise concern, producer Graham King has said that the film will “not sanitize” Jackson’s legacy and “will get into all of it.” This statement fuels the film’s controversy, as it muddies the waters as to what the biopic Michael will actually cover. Domingo is not explicit in his statement either, implying the biopic has nuance without specifying how exactly it renders that complexity. At this point, the controversy will likely not have much clarity until Michael‘s 2025 release.

Source: ET