The Jackson family gathered quietly in Los Angeles last week for what insiders expected would be a triumphant moment.
Instead, sources say, the private screening of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic exploded into a family confrontation — exposing long-simmering tensions over the King of Pop’s legacy.
More than 60 members of the Jackson clan packed into a private Los Angeles showing of “Michael,” which hits theaters worldwide on April 24 and stars Jermaine Jackson’s son, Jaafar Jackson, as his legendary uncle.
At first, the mood inside the room was electric, several insiders at the screening told Page Six. Relatives laughed, clapped and leaned forward in their seats as the film recreated moments from Michael’s rise from child prodigy out of Gary, Indiana, to the most famous entertainer on the planet.
But within minutes of the lights coming up at the end, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when Janet Jackson, 59, began dissecting the film with brutal precision, according to multiple people in the room.
The superstar singer — one of the family’s most powerful figures and the second most sucessful artist after Michael — reportedly criticized everything, from the performances to the makeup.
“She had something negative about almost every scene,” said one person present at the screening.
“The acting, the makeup, how the actors spoke, even how they walked. It was Janet deciding against the room that this movie wasn’t going to meet her approval.”
The critique stunned some relatives, who had expected the family to all rally behind the project. Others say the moment reflected deeper divisions that have been simmering for years.
Janet has been one of the most visible family members backing Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, 27, in her ongoing legal fight against his estate — a dispute that has fueled tension among siblings, cousins and advisors who disagree over how the late singer’s empire should be run.
But, insiders told Page Six, Jermaine Jackson, 71, had enough and stood up and sharply confronted Janet.
“You are going to miss this wave,” Jermaine told his sister, according to one family insider who witnessed the exchange. “You are so jealous — just get on the wave.”
The blunt exchange stunned several in the room, particularly younger family members who had not previously witnessed such open disagreement between Michael’s immediate siblings.
Many relatives in the room support Jermaine, who has been heavily involved with the movie, and the casting of Jaafar, who grew up around his uncle’s music and mannerisms.
The 29-year-old has been widely praised by those who have seen early cuts of the film for capturing Michael’s voice, posture and dance style.
Family insiders say Jermaine has privately viewed the project as a moment of redemption for the Jackson brand — and the biggest opportunity since Michael’s 2009 death to reconnect with audiences who once followed the family with near-religious devotion.
That memory was marred by Michael’s tragic end, overdosing on a cocktail of drugs, and presistent allegations against him of child abuse — although he was never convicted of any such crime while alive.
The estate and family have made new licensing deals and the Broadway hit “MJ: The Musical” to preserve his musica legacy.
“Everybody in that room knows that Michael was lightning in a bottle,” the source said. “You can’t recreate him. But you can remind the world what he meant.”
One family member summed up the mood bluntly after the screening ended.
“We keep looking for that moment again, [but] only Michael can give us that and he’s not even with us anymore,” the relative said. “But look at the talk this movie has generated worldwide.
“This isn’t just about Michael. It’s about us. It’s about our legacy. It’s about the comeback in store for all of us.”
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