Erin Moriarty feels Spike Lee was wrong to defend the exclusion of Michael Jackson’s sexual abuse accusations from the King of Pop’s recent biopic.
She argued that the allegations do matter and should have at least been hinted at, especially given how the entertainment industry is often known for ignoring, and sometimes even enabling, sexual abuse and grooming.
Just like Moriarty, several other critics have shared negative reviews of the movie, with some focusing on how it “whitewashes” Michael.
As attention continues to grow around the recently released Michael biopic, Moriarty has addressed what she believes is a misguided view of the film expressed by the late pop star’s friend, Spike Lee.
Recently, Lee defended the producers’ decision to leave out the sexual abuse allegations that followed Michael in the years before his death.
However, in Moriarty’s view, that should not have been the case. She made her opinion clear in a strongly worded statement shared on her Instagram Story.
“I think there’s nuance here worth acknowledging,” the actress wrote, quoting a repost of Lee’s remarks. “Allegations of this severity do matter.”
Erin Moriarty Explains Why Michael Allegations Matter
To Moriarty, having the allegations at least hinted at in the biopic would have brought attention to what she believes is a major problem in the industry today.
“They are not irrelevant context; particularly within an industry that has historically minimized or enabled sexual abuse and grooming,” the actress continued.
Moriarty also had issues with how the film has seemingly garnered such a strong reception from viewers despite Michael’s checkered twilight years.
The actor added, “The quality of the film may not be in question. But I think it’s fair to question the broader celebration of it, and what message that may send to survivors.”
Spike Lee Says ‘Michael’ Criticism Ignores The Timeline
Meanwhile, Lee’s defense of the biopic was centered on the movie’s timeline, which is not set around the period when the accusations against Michael emerged.
“The movie ends in ‘88 & the stuff you’re talking about, accusations happened [later]. So, you’re critiquing the film on something you wanted, but it doesn’t work in the timeline of the film,” he said in an interview with CNN’s Laura Coates.
At the time, Lee also acknowledged the massive turnout in cinemas for the biopic, something Moriarty had declared she had issues with.
“People showed up. Worldwide, people showed their love,” Lee told his host.
Critics Also Accused ‘Michael’ Of Whitewashing The Late Star
While Lee’s view of the biopic was positive, several critics shared negative opinions about the project, according to the BBC.
One review called it “frustratingly shallow” and noted that the film also fails to address how Michael “was an abuse victim, brutalized by his father and robbed of his childhood.”
A similar sentiment was shared by a journalist who described the film as a “ghoulish, soulless cash grab.”
“All Michael does is recreate, in mechanical style, the most famous visuals of Jackson’s career,” they added. “It’s certainly easier that way. Why bother to depict a human being when you can simply turn them into a product?”
Adding to the criticism, another reporter called the project a “whitewash” of the late pop star and emphasized that its avoidance of the sexual allegations was a “borderline-fatal problem.”
They added that the accusations should have at least been acknowledged or foreshadowed in the movie, which would have made it more credible as a biopic of Michael.
Colman Domingo Defended ‘Michael’ Amid Backlash
Amid the backlash, Colman Domingo, who starred in the project as Michael’s father, defended the producers’ decision and also expressed hope that the allegations may one day be addressed in a sequel.
“The film takes place from the 60’s to 1988. It does not go into the first allegations … there’s a possibility of it being a Part 2 that may deal with some other things that happened afterward,” Domingo said during an interview on NBC’s “Today.”
He then emphasized that the project’s narrative focuses primarily on Michael’s rise to stardom and should be reviewed only through that lens.
“This is about the making of Michael, how he was raised, and then how he was trying to find his voice as an artist and be a solo artist,” Domingo added.
