Nia Long Praises Jaafar Jackson For ‘Michael’ Success: “It Was A Joy Watching You Transform Into Your Uncle Right Before Our Eyes”
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- Jaafar Jackson and Nia Long presented the first award at the 2026 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater, thanking audiences for packing theaters for their film "Michael" and calling the support "humbled" for the Jackson family.
- Nia Long said portraying Katherine Jackson "reminded me that grace is quiet and still" and told Jaafar it was "an honor watching you transform into your uncle right before our eyes."
- Jaafar Jackson, who plays his real-life uncle in the film, said on stage, "You guys have the theaters packed. We're truly so humbled. Your support means the world to the Jackson family."
- "Michael" has grossed $977.4M globally, becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time and surpassing Universal's "Oppenheimer" ($975.8M) on a 46-day theatrical-to-PVOD window.
- The 2026 biopic "Michael," directed by Antoine Fuqua, also stars Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson, Miles Teller as John Branca, Lauren Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, and Mike Myers as Walter Yetnikoff.
- Leon Thomas won the Best Male R&B / Pop Artist award, which Jackson and Long presented during the ceremony.
Why it matters: The film's $977.4M global gross officially crowns it the highest-grossing biopic ever, edging past Oppenheimer on a short 46-day theatrical-to-PVOD window — meaning the Jackson family biopic is generating maximum revenue on a compressed release schedule. The BET Awards platform gave the film cultural reinforcement with a Jackson family member at the microphone, extending the film's momentum into awards-season visibility.
