How Michael Jackson’s Family Felt About Juliano Valdi’s Biopic Role

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Juliano Krue Valdi is proud of the way he made the Jackson family feel.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE this! While filming the Michael movie, the little actor who played young Michael actually got to meet members of Michael Jackson’s family on set! Can you imagine?! It’s like, he was stepping into Michael’s world and getting to connect with the people who knew him best. I’m seriously getting chills just thinking about it!

Juliano explained to TopMob News that when people expressed strong confidence in him, he felt a significant weight of responsibility. He described it as needing to nurture something delicate, ‘like taking care of a baby.’

Jaafar Jackson enjoyed portraying Michael Jackson—specifically, the adult version of the singer—but he also felt a lot of pressure. He explained that he wanted to live up to everyone’s expectations, as people believed he was capable of capturing Michael Jackson’s essence.

Juliano wasn’t only worried about the Jacksons seeing the finished movie. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, along with his sister La Toya and brother Marlon, often came to the set to watch filming.

He continued, recalling his first meeting with the Jackson family. He specifically remembered seeing Katherine Jackson and feeling motivated to impress her. He explained that he tried his best to capture Michael’s spirit and personality in his work.

After portraying Michael Jackson when he first started out with The Jackson 5, Juliano hopes audiences will see a fresh side of the iconic performer.

Recently, Jafaar, who is Michael Jackson’s nephew and played Juliano in the film, shared how supportive the Jackson family was during and after production.

Having my cousins and the rest of my family at the premiere meant a lot to me,” the 29-year-old told TopMob News at the April 20 event. “Since the movie is about my family and our roots in Gary, Indiana, their presence was incredibly important to me.”

For what other members of the Jackson family have said about the Michael movie, keep reading… 

According to lead producer Graham King, Michael Jackson’s oldest child was present on the set every day during filming. King shared this information with The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s Los Angeles premiere on April 20th.

Prince Jackson has been supportive of his cousin Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal of Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic. In an April 11th Instagram post, Prince described watching Jermaine Jackson’s son take on the role of his uncle as a deeply meaningful experience for the family, praising Jaafar’s talent, hard work, and spirit as perfectly suited for the part.

Colman Domingo, who portrayed Michael Jackson’s father, Joe, stated that Prince and Paris Jackson were supportive of the film. However, Paris Jackson disagreed with that assessment.

In August 2025, Michael’s daughter posted on Instagram, jokingly asking people not to say she was ‘helpful’ on a movie she had nothing to do with, calling the idea ‘so weird’.

She explained that she’d read an early version of the script and shared her concerns about things that felt untrue or didn’t feel right. When the writers didn’t incorporate her feedback, she decided to let it go, saying, ‘It’s not my problem.’ She wished them well and moved on.

The following month, she explained her feelings in Instagram videos, saying that the creators would do what they wanted, and she hadn’t spoken up before because she believed many fans would enjoy it, even though it seemed designed to appeal to a small, devoted part of her father’s fanbase who prefer a certain idealized version of his work.

Hollywood biopics are “sold to you as real,” Paris said, but they’re “sugar-coated.”

She claimed the story being told was being manipulated, filled with both inaccuracies and outright lies. She said she simply couldn’t accept dishonesty of that kind.

Paris responded to claims that she dislikes her father, explaining it’s not about controlling the film’s production. She feels the movie contains many inaccuracies and that she values honesty more than profit.

Bigi, who is known for being Michael Jackson’s most private child, hasn’t spoken publicly about the film, but he did attend its premiere in Berlin on April 10th.

Having my cousins and the rest of my family present was incredibly important to me,” Jaafar shared with TopMob News on April 20. “This is a family story, and it all began in Gary, Indiana, so their being there meant everything to me.”

Michael’s sister, the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s ten children, has requested that her story not be told.

LaToya Jackson said at the Los Angeles premiere that she hoped all of her siblings had been involved in the film. However, Janet was asked to participate but respectfully chose not to, and her decision should be honored.

Following a Page Six article in March claiming Janet clashed with filmmakers over nearly every scene and upset Jermaine during a family viewing, La Toya Jackson told Entertainment Tonight that the report was false. She insisted, “There was absolutely no problem whatsoever, none whatsoever. Please believe it.”

Director Antoine Fuqua expressed his deep respect and affection for Janet, telling Variety that her support of Jaafar was the most important thing.

La Toya Jackson praised Jaafar’s performance, telling TopMob News at the Los Angeles premiere that he was “absolutely fantastic” and perfectly captured the essence of her brother. She expressed immense pride in his work.

The fifth oldest Jackson sibling emphasized how crucial family involvement was for the movie. She told The Hollywood Reporter that while people might think they understand the story from what they’ve read, having the family participate ensures accuracy because they can confirm or deny details.

Jaafar said Marlon left feeling proud of his performance, telling TopMob he’d reassured his nephew that it was ‘unbelievable.’

Marlon stated he found no mistakes in the film. He recalled being on set during the filming of the Jackson’s 1984 Victory Tour and being struck by how much the actor resembled Michael Jackson, saying, ‘Wow, he looked just like Michael.’

Jaafar’s father was incredibly proud, telling TopMob that his son earned the role through dedication and hard work.

Before taking over the role, Jermaine wanted to make sure his son understood the challenges he would face, explaining to Fab TV at the Berlin premiere that he had “big shoes to fill.”

Michael’s nephew Taj Jackson told critics to beat it.

Michael Jackson’s son recently responded to media coverage surrounding his father, stating that the public should be allowed to form their own opinions after watching a new film about him. He expressed confidence that audiences will see a different side of his father than what the media has portrayed, and he anticipates some critics will be proven wrong. He jokingly said he’s looking forward to seeing those critics ‘eat crow’ and admitted he’ll enjoy it.

On April 22nd, Tito Jackson’s son posted on X that he was going to see the Michael documentary again. He explained that he didn’t want to miss the experience of being in a theater full of energy surrounding his uncle, Michael Jackson, whom he believes deserves this moment. He also said his cousin earned this recognition and that Michael’s fans deserve to see his true story. He’s excited for the world to be reminded of who Michael really was.

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2026-04-29 23:17