Taj Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson, called on fans to “stop trusting the tabloids” after a report suggested the late King of Pop’s family was looking to “cash in” amid the “Michael” movie’s success.
Taj, an original member of the group 3T, took to X on Friday evening and called out the New York Post, claiming a recent article was nothing more than “clickbait.”
“Do I have to drag you again, @nypost? Leave my family alone with your lies and clickbait articles,” Taj wrote on his social media account. “You and your fake sources. A ‘family source’ … blah blah blah.”
He added: “Stop trusting the tabloids.”
The article in-question made claims about a possible Jackson family tour following the biopic’s success, with La Toya Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson all reportedly committed to the new venture. The outlet stated there were efforts to get Janet Jackson involved, as well.
A representative for the New York Post did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Nonetheless, the “Thriller” singer’s nephew has been quite vocal on social media amid the release of “Michael,” repeatedly hitting back at critics over the panned reaction to the blockbuster.
Last week, Taj posted on X that the media didn’t “get to control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was,” adding, “The public gets to watch this movie…they will decide for themselves. And you can’t handle that.”
He followed this post up with a celebratory one, as the “Michael” movie received an A- on CinemaScore and 94% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in the first few days of the film’s release.
“The Michael movie is clearly bringing people together and leaving them feeling joy and happiness,” he added online. “That sounds exactly like my uncle Michael… Michael Jackson never gave the world what it thinks it wants, he gave the world what it truly needs.”
Still, the movie has faced its fair share of criticism as well, with James Safechuck, one of the two subjects who alleged Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children in HBO’s 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” calling the film’s release “triggering.”
The singer faced 10 charges in 2005 tied to the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old. After denying all of the allegations against him and participating in a 14-week trial, Jackson was acquitted on all counts. However, the controversy resurfaced in 2019 when the aforementioned documentary brought about new allegations from two of Jackson’s alleged victims.
