Michael Jackson: Who is Jaafar Jackson who plays the King of Pop in a biopic?

It is a highly anticipated project by fans of the King of Pop. The biopic Michael, dedicated to Michael Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua, highlights a newcomer with quite the pedigree. Jaafar Jackson, who happens to be the nephew of the late singer who passed away in 2009. Let’s introduce you to this discreet member of an impressive family of artists.

Where does Jaafar fit in the Jackson family? Born in July 1996, Jaafar is the son of Jermaine – the 4th of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s 9 children – and Alejandra Oaziaza, also the parents of Jermajesty (2000). The couple separated in 2004, after which he and his brother lived with their paternal grandparents for a long time. Jaafar has other half-siblings. So, things get a little complicated here!

His mother Alejandra had her first two children, Genevieve (1989) and Steven (1992), with Randy, the youngest Jackson brother (who are also his cousins). She also raised Donte (1992). As for Jermaine, he is also the father of Jermaine II (1977), Autumn (1978), and Jaimy (1987) with Hazel Gordy; Jeremy (1986) and Jourdynn (1989) with Margaret Maldonado; not to mention Dawn (whose mother is unknown) and the youngest, Abu Bakr with Maday Velazquez.

He is also the cousin of the 3T (Taj, Taryll, TJ), Tito’s sons.

Jaafar Jackson didn’t always want to be an artist Even though he grew up in a very musical environment, as a child, Jaafar didn’t think of becoming a singer or even a dancer but… a golfer. However, he did have the music gene in him. In 2019, after impressing with covers of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, he released his first single, Got Me Singing. At the same age, Michael Jackson had released Thriller, the best-selling album of all time.

In an interview with Today, he recalled the time spent with his uncle, whom he was close to: “Michael would come to visit me, and we would spend whole days playing board games.” He would also visit him at his Neverland ranch, a real amusement park for the child he was. Michael passed away a few weeks before Jaafar turned 13.

In the biopic Michael, he portrays his own uncle. A delicate role, as the comparison with his iconic uncle is inevitable. This film marks his very first foray into the world of cinema. In an interview with Interview magazine, Jaafar revealed that he kept a secret from his family, for “a whole year,” that he would be playing the iconic performer of Beat it. “I kept the secret until I felt comfortable enough to talk about it,” confessed the young man. “But when my mother saw me on screen, she was deeply moved. She had trouble recognizing me, it really touched her.”

Jaafar, a man in love In his private life, Jaafar Jackson has been in a relationship with Maddie Simpson, who is also a singer, since 2016. The couple got engaged in 2024.