Dan Reed Criticizes 'Michael' Biopic for Sanitizing Michael Jackson's Abuse Allegations

Director Dan Reed, whose 2019 documentary *Leaving Neverland* presented Wade Robson’s and James Safechuck’s abuse claims, called biopic *Michael* a “version of events that portrays Wade, James and others who’ve accused Jackson of child sexual abuse as liars.” He said the film reduces Jackson to “an asexual plastic action doll” and “flips the truth on its head,” making it “impossible to take seriously.”

WION

*Leaving Neverland* (2019) revived debate over Jackson’s alleged abuse; the estate denies the claims and issued *Neverland Firsthand* (2023). Accusers are Wade Robson and James Safechuck; Paris Jackson has criticized new script.

People Magazine

The film opened 24 April 2026, earning $217 million (£161 million) worldwide by early May. Variety says director Antoine Fuqua earned about $25 million and the estate will profit heavily. Reed notes the accusers have earned nothing from the box-office success.

The Guardian

Fuqua, in a *New Yorker* interview, questioned the accusers’ credibility and said “sometimes people do some nasty things for some money.” The Jackson estate has not responded but continues to promote its own documentary. Paris Jackson said the script “panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy.”

The Guardian

Reed says the film sidesteps the “issue of his relationship with children,” portraying Jackson’s interactions with young fans as benign philanthropy while ignoring documented behavior like letting boys sleep in his bed. He argues the movie offers “zero insight into what makes Jackson tick,” reducing him to a “waxwork” delivering a jukebox of hits without addressing the long-standing abuse allegations.

AV Club

• “What the movie does is creates a version of events that essentially portrays Wade, James and others who’ve accused Jackson of child sexual abuse as liars without actually articulating it.” — Dan Reed, Director, *Leaving Neverland*

The Guardian

• “Reed said that he had seen the film and “there’s zero insight into what makes Jackson tick”, adding: “He’s this asexual plastic action doll of a figure in the film.” — Dan Reed, Director, *Leaving Neverland*

The Guardian

• “The film just flips the truth on its head – black is white, white is black, and two and two make five … it’s a movie that’s impossible to take seriously.” — Dan Reed, Director, *Leaving Neverland*

The Guardian

• “When I hear things about us – Black people in particular, especially in a certain position – there’s always pause,” — Antoine Fuqua, Director of *Michael*

The Guardian

Reed says the biopic omits the 1993 and later abuse allegations, yet producers have offered no public explanation. The story ends in 1988, before the accusations entered the record, leaving a gap in how the film addresses Jackson’s later controversies. Reed’s follow-up documentary *Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson* (2025) is on YouTube, while the original stays off HBO until 2029, suggesting the debate will continue.

People Magazine