Michael Jackson has proved in less than two months that he is still (and will forever be) the undisputed King of Pop, as his crowd-pleasing biopic continues to send fans to theaters in droves.
In what many have called a resurgence of Jackson’s never-ending popularity and newfound obsession from Gen Z, fans are absolutely infuriated that Netflix has chosen now to release a new docuseries regarding the child molestation allegations against the superstar.
On Wednesday, June 3, Netflix dropped “Michael Jackson: The Verdict,” which revisited his 2005 child molestation trial that resulted in him being acquitted on all 10 charges.
It didn’t take long after the docuseries dropped for fans to unleash their fury online, carefully pointing to Netflix’s questionable timing to release it, as “Michael” gets closer than ever to grossing a billion dollars at the global box office — making it the first biopic in movie history to do so.
“That Michael Jackson documentary on Netflix is disgusting,” one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote. “They’re still trying to smear a man who was cleared multiple times, even after his death, just to make money off his name.”
Another angrily slammed the prosecutors appearing in the docuseries.
“Just watched ‘Michael Jackson The Verdict’ on Netflix and all I have to say is f—k both of these two from the bottom of my heart they hated seeing a black successful man get all that love and would constantly make up lies and believe lies that other grifters told them smfh,” they shared.
An additional Jackson fan called out the streaming service for using similar media tactics used for decades to smear the icon’s name.
“Netflix doc really had to edit footage, remove context, and manipulate scenes just to make Michael Jackson look guilty,” the user commented. “That’s a strange amount of effort for someone whose guilt is supposedly so obvious. Same old media tactic, different platform.”
A fourth user alleged that Netflix used the overwhelming success of “Michael” in an attempt to bring up the 20-year-old case.
“Netflix just repeated the same lies about Michael that’s been debunked years ago. It’s clear that they were bitter about the success of the Michael movie,” they wrote.
One user revealed that she was officially done supporting Netflix and cancelled her subscription following the docuseries’ release.
“Canceled no more,” they began. “They will not get another dime from me to promote hit pieces. Keep streaming Michael’s music and also go see “Michael” today in theaters.”
Meanwhile, “Michael” is proving that it has no signs of slowing down at the box office, even after it was recently confirmed to be available for digital release on June 9.
As of June 2, “Michael” has grossed $870 million globally and has not left the domestic box office Top 5 since it was released on April 24.
Fans and industry insiders alike are now pointing to Japan, as the country, which is famously known for being enormous Jackson supporters, is set to have the film open on June 12.
Once it’s released there, it is highly likely that the country will push “Michael” to the billion-dollar mark and possibly even beyond.
If it achieves this massive feat, it will make history as the first biopic to earn a billion at the box office. “Michael” has already surpassed the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which previously held the highest-grossing biopic title.
