Kat Graham has revealed why her portrayal of Diana Ross was removed from the Michael Jackson biopic Michael. The actor and singer, 36, was originally cast as the iconic singer in the controversial film directed by Antoine Fuqua. However, her scenes did not make it into the final cut.
In a statement shared on social media Thursday morning, Graham said: “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. 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.”
Representatives for Diana Ross did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment regarding the icon’s absence from the film.
Jackson and Ross shared a decades-long friendship after meeting as children. In his 1988 autobiography, Jackson described Ross as his “mother, sister and lover all combined in one.”
Ross was not the only figure omitted from the film. Janet Jackson, Jackson’s younger sister and fellow performer, “kindly declined” to be portrayed or participate in the film, according to LaToya Jackson, who revealed this at the movie’s premiere earlier this week.
The film covers Jackson’s life only through 1988 and does not address the child abuse allegations that surrounded him before his death in 2009, choosing instead to exclude those claims entirely.
More to follow...
