The Jacksons Are Broken in TEARS over This Jaafar Moment… – dw

A lot of people try to emulate Michael, which they do, a lot of them. He became Michael. I I couldn’t believe it out here. I got so emotional. Cuz he became Michael on that screen. It brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. The story of Jermaine Jackson and his son Jaafar Jackson is not just about a film.

It is about family legacy and a kind of love that refuses to break. Even when everything around it feels strained. At the center is the biopic Michael, where Jaafar steps into the role of his legendary uncle Michael Jackson. And you guys recreated the entire dance on the street where it actually happened? Oh, yeah.

No, we were there. Wait, that’s you? That’s me. [laughter] That’s wild. We were there from suns sunset to sunrise for two nights, all through the night shooting. Dancing all night long? All night long on cement, which was it was [laughter] quite hard. your foot your feet bled during some of this. there were some moments yeah, they were they were they were they would go numb cuz it was also freezing, but to be in that actual location and to see the zombies around and there were so many times I couldn’t really believe that I was recreating one

of the most iconic or the most iconic video of all time and to just be in the same space where Michael was was I had to really tell myself I’m really here. Wow, it’s it’s incredible. Jaafar, like I said, he became Michael on that screen. He’s incredible. How proud are you of Jaafar? Oh, I can’t even explain.

I wouldn’t want it any other way. Just he’s made us all so proud. But behind the cameras, something deeper is unfolding. A story of a father standing firm, a family divided, and love holding on through it all. For Jermaine, this moment is deeply personal. This isn’t just his son acting in a movie. This is his son carrying the image, the voice, and the spirit of his brother.

It’s unexplainable. Such a surreal moment. Peace and love. And tears came down our eyes. We all started crying cuz we thought we were looking at our brother. We couldn’t believe it. That’s how good he was. He was so close. Yeah. He was he called me uncle Jermaine. Did I do I said you did great, Jaafar. Yeah.

Jaafar, his nephew who’s playing him, I I kind of was seeing a lot of it through his eyes. What that must feel like for him to be playing his you know, his uncle. And Jaafar works his butt off, man. He was training for several years before cameras even started rolling. So, it was just really incredible to to kind of see him do his thing.

Jaafar’s casting didn’t happen by chance. He spent years preparing, studying Michael’s movements, his energy, and his presence. And behind him, quietly but firmly, was Jermaine. He encouraged him. He guided him. He reminded him what it means to be part of the Jackson legacy. That kind of support is not just professional. It’s emotional.

It’s a father saying, I believe in you even when the world is watching. It’s definitely a responsibility that you feel going into something this big in scope and into tell it in a cinematic way. There’s so many moments that I wanted to nail and make sure I had the true essence and and that that feeling. I had to feel it to make sure I believed in it first.

They see it, they go they go it’s going to blow them away. He did such a wonderful job, Jaafar. Jaafar, there’s a lot of there’s a lot of people out there that imitate my brother Michael. Unbelievable. And he’s fantastic. I say but the difference between them and Jaafar is that they imitate Michael and Jaafar became the destiny.

But this journey hasn’t been peaceful. The release of the biopic reopened long-standing tensions within the Jackson family. During a private screening, reports say emotions ran high, especially between Jermaine and his sister Janet Jackson. Janet reportedly criticized parts of the film, questioning how Michael’s story was being told.

Jermaine, on the other hand, stood his ground. He defended the film. He defended the vision. And most importantly, he defended his son. That moment wasn’t just about disagreement. It was about protection. A father protecting his child’s hard work. A brother protecting what he believes is the right way to honor Michael. The truest and highest compliment I can get as far as who I want to hear from, people that knew him closest and and those are the you know, they’re the ones I looked up to as a kid and to hear how proud they are, how much support I

have from them. And first and foremost, my my grandmother, who couldn’t be more proud and that makes me the happiest I can possibly be. anniversary of the Jacksons, they performed in New York. That was the only time I got to see my uncle Michael perform. Just seeing the fans’ reactions and that really inspired me to want to be in the music even though I was in golf at that time.

Jermaine’s position carries weight for a simple reason. He lived the story. He was there in the early days of the Jackson 5. He shared the stage, the pressure, and the rise to fame of Michael. So, for him, the biopic is not just storytelling. It’s memory. That’s why he’s been one of the strongest voices supporting the film.

He sees it as a celebration of Michael’s life, his music, and his impact on the world. And when that vision is challenged, his reaction is not just offensive. It’s emotional. Smooth Criminal, hands down. That was the first one that I don’t know what I was watching. I just knew it was it was magical, especially once he he does the lean.

That blew my mind, seeing him do the lean and I I always thought he had superpowers. Well, [laughter] you know, as an as an uncle and and till I had the knowledge of it was trick it was a trick with the shoes that he had. But that video really did it for me as far as really being inspired by it and also couldn’t stop dancing to it as a kid.

What stands out most is not the disagreement. It’s the love behind Jermaine’s actions. He could have stayed silent. He could have avoided conflict. But he didn’t because sometimes love doesn’t look soft. Sometimes it looks like standing up, speaking out, and refusing to let someone you care about be torn down. In defending the film, Jermaine was also defending Jaafar’s effort, the long hours, the pressure, the courage it takes to step into a role like this.

For Jaafar, that support means everything. Taking on the role of Michael Jackson is overwhelming. It comes with expectations from fans, critics, and family alike. But having his father’s belief gives him something stronger than public approval. The support I I’ve had from my family, from my father, everyone, it’s been so heartwarming and I I honestly wouldn’t be able to to pull this off I if I didn’t have the support.

And to hear the reaction after seeing the film, especially my grandmother. What did she say? She said how excellent I did and how much I I embody Michael and there were moments she couldn’t tell if it was me or or or Michael. And to me that’s all I needed to hear. That is incredible. It gives him grounding.

It reminds him that no matter what people say, he is not alone. Even in online conversations, fans have noticed this, praising Jaafar’s dedication and pointing out how much work he put into learning Michael’s complex performances. That effort reflects not just talent, but the support system behind him. The Jackson family’s reactions to the biopic have been mixed.

Especially being here in Berlin as the first first premiere, I I I had to do something. So, you know, I I’d never acted before. I I’d never wanted to act. So, I had a lot of uh you know, I was in conflict with it because I wasn’t sure if I can really do it or not. So, then I got with an acting coach and I really want to learn what is acting, you know, and start there before trying to embody Michael.

So, I did that for about a year and then I start to really, you know, study Michael’s videos, his lyrics, everything about him. And that’s when I start to embody him. Some members have celebrated the film openly. Others have kept their distance or voiced concerns. These differences have brought old tensions back into the spotlight, reminding the world that even iconic family struggle with unity.

But disagreement does not mean the absence of love. It means people care deeply about how a story is told, especially when that story belongs to someone they lost. Shout out to Jaafar, his work ethic, his attention to detail. Dedication. of detail and and dedication because it takes a specific person to to pull this off.

And there was only one person. And his DNA. [laughter] You know, that I I collect a large archival of of of footage that I gather from YouTube, many other websites of all the dancing and even just off camera he didn’t realize he was on camera like just him in a conversational setting. And I use that to really immerse myself and and dissect everything in that way.

And then just allowed that to kind of channel through me. I felt that Jaafar had it in him and I wanted him to really know what he was going up against cuz Michael’s shoes are tough set of shoes to fill. But at the same time, I know Jermaine’s story in all of this is simple but powerful.

He chose to stand by his son even when it caused tension. Even when it created conflict. Even when it wasn’t easy. And that choice says everything because real love doesn’t disappear when things get difficult. It becomes louder, stronger, more visible in the moments that test it. In the end, the story of Jermaine and Jaafar is not just about a film.

It’s about a father and a son navigating pressure, legacy, and family conflict together. It’s about standing firm when things feel uncertain. And most of all, it’s about a truth that continues to show itself in the Jackson family even through disagreements. Even through years of ups and downs, love still finds a way to stand. Not perfectly.

Not quietly. But powerfully enough to hold everything together.