Paris Jackson Blasts Joseph Fiennes’ Michael Jackson Portrayal
Paris Jackson has publicly and vehemently objected to Joseph Fiennes portraying her late father, pop legend Michael Jackson, in a trailer for the forthcoming comedy TV anthology Urban Myths: A Brand New Collection of Comedies, which is subtitled as “True … ish Stories.”
The show released its first trailer on Wednesday, which reimagines the urban legend concerning Jackson’s post 9/11 road trip with Marlon Brando (portrayed by Brian Cox) and Elizabeth Taylor (played by Stockard Channing).
On Wednesday, the MJCast, a Michael Jackson podcast that has called to boycott Urban Myths, tweeted at Paris asking her thoughts on the trailer.
“I’m so incredibly offended by it, as I’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit,” she wrote in the first of a series of tweets. “It angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother Liz as well.
“Where is the respect?” she questioned. “They worked through blood, sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. Shameful portrayal.”
In the trailer, the white, British actor Fiennes’ Jackson remains primarily silent, though he does say, “I sense the danger” to Channing’s Taylor towards the end of the clip.
Last year, Fiennes addressed the controversial decision of his casting, admitting that he was shocked at the show’s choice and said “this is territory that is sensitive.”
Sky Arts, which will air Urban Myths in the United Kingdom, told Rolling Stone in a statement last year, “Joseph Fiennes is cast as Michael Jackson. It is part of a series of comedies about unlikely stories from arts and cultural history. Sky Arts gives producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set.”