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Michael Jackson's legacy and death were recently brought back into the limelight after former mixed martial artist Jake Shields uploaded a new episode of the Fight Back Podcast to YouTube on April 27. The episode features Sneako and Ian Carroll talking about Michael Jackson.
Titled "Ian Carroll Explains How Michael Jackson Was FRAMED," the episode features Sneako and YouTuber Ian Carroll talking about Michael Jackson. During the discussion, Carroll referred to Jackson's death as "mysterious." Before his death, Jackson faced allegations of p*dophilia, which Carroll described as "total slander."
"It's really sad to look at Michael Jackson's legacy because he was a very tormented soul. He went through a lot of hardship but he was such a kind and wonderful human. When you actually dig through the history it's very clear that all the p*dophile stuff was total slander," Ian Carroll stated.
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Ian described Michael Jackson as someone who strove to "do right by the world," asserting:
"The more you dig into it, the more you realize that Michael Jackson was just a really kind big kid who had his childhood taken from him. [He] just wanted to do right by the world, wonderful dude."
On November 20, 2003, Michael Jackson was indicted on ten criminal counts, including child molestation, abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion. Two years later, on June 13, 2005, the King of Pop was acquitted on all charges and was found not guilty in his criminal trial.
Reportedly, some of the jurors placed the onus on the alleged victim, Gavin Arvizo's mother, Janet Arvizo.
"What mother in her right mind would allow that to happen," NPR claims a juror stated.
Months after the trial ended, prosecutors reportedly charged Janet Arvizo with fraud and perjury in connection with her statements during the Michael Jackson trial. She accepted a plea deal in 2006.
On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was found unresponsive at his home in Holmby Hills, California. His family then released a public statement indicating that the King of Pop had died of cardiac arrest.
Two years later, in 2011, Conrad Murray, a doctor and physician, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for administering a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which resulted in Jackson's death.
"[Conrad Murray] had stayed with Jackson at least six nights a week and was regularly asked — and sometimes begged — by the insomniac singer to give him drugs powerful enough to put him to sleep," The New York Times reported.
Everything we know about Michael Jackson's upcoming biopic movie
More than a year after Lionsgate teased Michael Jackson's upcoming biopic, Michael, movie producer Graham King hinted at a "two-part feature film." In a report from The Hollywood Reporter published in April 2025, King suggested that to properly honor the King of Pop's legacy, Michael's runtime would be extended to include 30 full-length records as part of its soundtrack.
Furthermore, Deadline reports that Graham King and his production team plan to expand the late superstar's legacy into two feature films rather than one. Based on a report from Puck Magazine published in January 2025, Michael is facing significant production concerns for the film's third act, which dramatizes one of Jackson's accusers.
The report indicates that this individual had signed a settlement with Jackson's estate, ensuring that they would never be featured in a dramatization. The Hollywood Reporter suggests that splitting the film into two parts would give filmmakers the "breathing space" needed to plan and reshoot Michael's final act.
The film has multiple production partners, including the Jackson estate, all of whom will reportedly need to "sign off" on Graham's plan for a two-feature biopic. The film's producers—Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain—appear to have postponed the project's previously planned release, shifting the date back by six months from April to October 2025.
Lionsgate and Universal are partnering to release Michael domestically and internationally on October 3, 2025.
Antoine Fuqua, the director of Jackson's biopic, cast Jaafar Jackson, the late superstar's nephew, as Michael. Other notable cast members include Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo.
"Regardless of what your opinion may be, Michael is one of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest. He deserves a movie to be made. I’m excited to be a part of it,” Miles Teller told Variety in 2024.
During the 2025 CinemaCon, which wrapped up earlier this month, Lionsgate did not showcase any new footage from the upcoming biopic, with motion picture group head Adam Fogelson saying:
"Ever since we debuted some early Michael footage at CinemaCon last year, it’s been crystal clear how much global interest and enthusiasm there is. Much has happened since, and while we aren’t quite ready to share more, we’re going to have some very big and exciting things to say in the coming weeks. So be patient, and stay tuned."
According to a recent report from Variety Magazine, MJ's upcoming biopic has an estimated budget of $155 million.
Jackson's estate, which manages his companies and assets, is currently facing lawsuits from two parties: Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both individuals allege that they were s*xually assaulted by the late superstar, with their case set to go to trial in November 2026.
