Diana Ross was originally supposed to appear as a character in Michael, but scenes featuring the “Queen of Motown” were pulled from the film due to “certain legal considerations,” the actress who was cast as Ross says.
Singer and actress Kat Graham released a statement on X Thursday (April 23) revealing her scenes were cut from the Michael Jackson biopic in the wake of legal-related revelations surrounding the film.
“Ahead of the April 24 release of the Michael Jackson film, I want to share that certain legal considerations affected a few scenes, including the ones I filmed with an incredible cast,” Graham wrote.
“Unfortunately, those moments are no longer part of the final cut, though the team worked hard to preserve as much of the story as possible,” she added.
See her full statement below:
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Graham has not revealed why, exactly, the scenes including Ross were cut.
However, the biopic underwent a series of major (and majorly expensive) reshoots after attorneys for the Michael Jackson estate discovered late into production that a settlement clause from one of the pop star’s accusers, Jordan Chandler, firmly prohibited the depiction or mention of Chandler in any film.
Originally, the film was going to dive heavily into the allegations against Jackson, most notably Chandler’s family’s early ‘90s case against the artist.
The costly reshoots, which reportedly cost up to $15 million, were covered by the Jackson estate.
Ross and Jackson were very close during Jackson’s life. The pair met during Jackson’s early Motown days, with Ross acting as a mentor and music industry mother figure to The Jackson 5 singer. The pair later co-starred together in the 1978 musical The Wiz, and in his will, Jackson named Ross as a secondary guardian for his three children in the event of his untimely passing.
Michael releases in theaters on April 24.
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