Jaafar Jackson stepped onto the BET Awards stage Sunday night having just made history at the box office — and he brought Nia Long with him to share the moment.
The two Michael co-stars presented the first award of the 2026 BET Awards at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, drawing a warm reception from the crowd as representatives of one of the year’s defining films. The appearance came hours after the biopic crossed a landmark box office threshold, surpassing Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biopic of all time with $977 million worldwide.
Jackson addressed the audience directly, saying the family was humbled by the outpouring of support. “You guys have the theaters packed,” he told the crowd. “Your support means the world to the Jackson family.”
Long, who plays Katherine Jackson in the film, used her moment on stage to reflect on what the role demanded. “Portraying Katherine Jackson reminded me that grace is quiet and still,” she said, before turning to her co-star. “Jaafar, it was an honor watching you transform into your uncle right before our eyes.” On the red carpet earlier, Long had been even more effusive. “I met Michael, so I’m watching [Jaafar] in the scenes and I’m like, I don’t want to say anything ’cause you don’t want to throw off your fellow actor, but I’m blown away,” she said. “That’s my baby for life. He has another mama whether he likes it or not.”
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and released April 24, Michael earned $370.2 million domestically and $607.2 million internationally across its first ten weekends, with Japan’s late debut still pushing the total higher. The film had already claimed the record as the biggest musical biopic ever, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody’s $911 million run. It also became Lionsgate’s highest-grossing release of all time, surpassing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and a sequel is already in development.
Critics were largely cool on the film, which sits at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising Jaafar’s performance but describing the story as sanitized. Scenes depicting the 1993 allegations and a Neverland Ranch raid were removed after a clause in a legal settlement was discovered, prompting costly reshoots in June 2025. Audiences, however, pushed back — the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at 97%.
The ceremony was hosted by Druski in his BET Awards debut, with Janet Jackson also appearing on stage to present the Icon of the Year Award to Teyana Taylor.
