As Michael heads into a strong second weekend at the box office, Spike Lee is publicly defending the biopic amid criticism over what it doesn’t include. Lee told CNN that complaints about the film ignoring the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson are misplaced because the movie ends in 1988, before those accusations occurred. He argued critics are judging the film for material that “doesn’t work in the timeline,” and emphasized that audiences worldwide are showing up regardless. Lee also spoke personally, saying he misses both Michael and Prince, calling them “beautiful people” he worked with. Director Antoine Fuqua has previously said the team intentionally “planted the seeds” to explore the allegations in a potential sequel, stressing that this first film needed to focus on Michael’s rise and stage persona. Fuqua noted the goal was to show who Jackson was as a performer and human being before moving into darker chapters. Originally, the first cut of Michael ran over three and a half hours and reportedly ended with an accuser—something the Jackson estate had agreed would never be dramatized. After 22 days of reshoots, Lionsgate even considered splitting the film into two parts. The real-life timeline: Jackson was charged in 2003 with multiple counts of child molestation and intoxicating a minor. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted on all counts in 2005. Additional accusers came forward after his death in 2009.