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

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    Watch: Michael’s Jaafar Jackson Reacts to Prince, Bigi “Blanket” Jackson’s Support

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

    After all, the 12-year-old encountered various members of Michael Jackson’s legendary family on the set of the biopic Michael, where he played a younger version of the late King of Pop.

    “I knew that when they thought so highly about me, they were really confident in me,” Juliano told E! News in an exclusive interview, “I had a big responsibility. I had to take care of that—like taking care of a baby, basically, being so gentle with it.”

    And while the actor had fun performing as Michael—Jaafar Jackson plays the “Thriller” singer’s adult counterpart—he admitted, “It was a lot of pressure. I had to make everyone proud because they thought that I could play Michael Jackson.”

    But Juliano wasn’t just concerned about the Jacksons seeing the movie’s final product. Indeed, Michael’s mom Katherine Jackson, sister La Toya Jackson and brother Marlon Jackson would periodically visit the set to see the cast in action. 

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    Michael’s Jaafar Jackson Reacts to Prince Jackson, Bigi “Blanket” Jackson’s Support 

    “I remember the first day I saw the Jackson family,” he continued. “I remember seeing Katherine, and when I saw her I wanted to make her proud. So, I just brought Michael’s energy to the screen as close as I can.”

    And after inhabiting The Jackson 5 alum during his early days in music, Juliano is hoping viewers walk away with a new perspective of Michael. 

    Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Lionsgate

    “I hope that they can understand who Michael was on a deeper level,” he said of the movie, which is in theaters now. “They can understand who he was when he wasn’t on stage, who he was as a person. And I also want them to feel groovy in that Michael Jackson mode.”

    Meanwhile, Juliano’s counterpart Jafaar—Michael’s real-life nephew—recently detailed what it meant to have the Jackson family in his corner. 

    Lionsgate

    “To have my cousins there and my other family members, that meant everything,” the 29-year-old told E! News at the movie’s April 20 premiere. “Because it is a family story, and it all started in Gary, Indiana, so it meant the world to me.”

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

    Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Lionsgate

    Prince JacksonAs a producer on the film, Michael Jackson‘s eldest child “was on set every day,” leadproducer Graham King told The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s April 20 Los Angeles premiere.Prince, who attended premieres in L.A. and Berlin, has also touted his cousin Jaafar Jackson‘s performance, writing April 11 on Instagram that watching Jermaine Jackson‘s son “step into the role of his uncle Michael is incredibly special for the family. With his talent, dedication and spirit, he was the only right choice to portray Michael and bring his story to the big screen.”

    Jesse Grant/WWD via Getty Images

    Paris JacksonWhen Colman Domingo, who plays her late grandfather Joe Jackson, said that Prince and Paris were “very much in support” of Michael, Paris begged to differ.“Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol,” Michael’s daughter wrote on her Instagram Story in August 2025. “That is so weird.”Rather, she continued, “I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest / didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys not my circus. God bless and god speed.”She crystalized her take the following month, saying in a series of Instagram videos, “They’re gonna make whatever they’re gonna make. The big reason why I haven’t said anything up until this point is because I know a lot of you guys are gonna be happy with it” because it “panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy.”Hollywood biopics are “sold to you as real,” Paris said, but they’re “sugar-coated.”Meaning, she alleged, “The narrative is being controlled. There’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. I don’t really like dishonesty.”Paris also pushed back against accusations that she “hates her dad…because I’m not, like, calling the shots on set being a big-shot producer of a movie that’s filled with just inaccuracies. That’s not my truth…I just prefer honesty over sales and monetary gain.”

    Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Universal Pictures

    Bigi JacksonAs the most private of Michael’s kids, Bigi hasn’t commented on the film, but he attended the April 10 premiere in Berlin.“To have my cousins there and my other family members, that meant everything,” Jaafar told E! News April 20. “Because it is a family story, and it all started in Gary, Indiana, so it meant the world to me.”

    Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

    Janet JacksonMichael’s sister, the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson‘s 10 kids, asked to be removed from this narrative.“I wish everybody was in the movie,” sister LaToya Jackson told Varietyat the L.A. premiere. But Janet “was asked and she kindly declined so you have to respect her wishes.”In response to a March Page Six report that Janet had issues with almost every scene in the film and drew Jermaine’s ire during a family screening, La Toya told Entertainment Tonight, “There was absolutely no problem whatsoever, none whatsoever. Please believe it.”Director Antoine Fuqua said he has “so much respect and love for Janet,” telling Variety she was “supportive of Jaafar, and that’s what matters.”

    Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Lionsgate

    La Toya JacksonJaafar was “absolutely fantastic,” La Toya told E! News at the L.A. premiere. “He just embodied my brother and I’m so proud of him.”The fifth-eldest Jackson sibling considered it “very important” that her family collaborated on the movie, telling THR, “A lot of times people think they know the story and they read about things, but when the family’s involved, the family can say yay or nay.”
    Marlon JacksonJaafar left Marlon “smiling inside at how great he is,” the sixth-eldest Jackson sibling told E!, adding that he assured his nephew that his performance was “unbelievable.”And Marlon said he didn’t spot any inaccuracies in the film, sharing, “When I first saw him on stage, when I went to the set the first time, they were shooting the [Jacksons‘ 1984] Victory Tour…And I said, ‘Wow.’ He looked just like Michael.”

    Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Lionsgate

    Jermaine JacksonJaafar’s father, suffice it to say, was “extremely proud,” telling E!, “He deserved the part, he worked so hard.”But before Jaafar took on the role, Jermaine explained to Fab TV at the Berlin premiere, he wanted his son to understand “what he was going up against,” because those “are a tough set of shoes to fill.”

    Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

    Taj JacksonMichael’s nephew Taj Jackson told critics to beat it.”Sorry, media, you don’t get to control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was,” the eldest son of late Jackson 5 member Tito Jackson wrote on X April 21, per Variety. “The public gets to watch this movie… they will decide for themselves. And you can’t handle that. Can’t wait until some critics have to eat crow. And yes, I will be that petty.”

    Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

    TJ JacksonTito’s youngest son wrote on X April 22 that he was headed out to rewatch Michael, because he “wouldn’t miss this opportunity to be masked in the electrifying energy that will be in that theater for nothing. My uncle deserves this, my cousin earned this and his loyal supporters are owed this. The world will be reminded or learn who MJ truly was and I can’t wait!”

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