Kat Graham says scenes as Diana Ross were cut from Michael for "legal considerations"

Ross is one of a few people conspicuously absent from the final product.

By Drew Gillis  |  April 23, 2026 | 12:27pm
Image courtesy of Lionsgate
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Kat Graham says scenes as Diana Ross were cut from Michael for

At this point, Michael is becoming far more known for what it excludes than what it actually depicts. There’s none of the child sexual abuse allegations that dogged Michael Jackson throughout the final decade-plus of his life, nor is there his also-very-famous sister Janet. There’s also no Diana Ross, though it’s not totally clear as of now what happened with that. But Kat Graham, who was supposed to play the Motown star and former Supreme, shared on Instagram that her scenes as the songstress were ultimately cut from Michael.

“Ahead of the April 24 release of the Michael Jackson film, I want to share that certain legal considerations affected a few scenes, including the ones I filmed with an incredible cast,” writes Graham. “Unfortunately, those moments are no longer part of the final cut, though the team worked hard to preserve as much of the story as possible.” 

The real Ross was certainly a big part of the real Jackson’s story, with the group marketed in their early days as a discovery of Ross. (The group’s first album is literally titled Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5.) Ross and Jackson did have a close personal and professional relationship for years, appearing together in The Wiz before Ross recorded songs written by Jackson. The story of Ross discovering the group, however, was a fabrication. Other members of the Jackson family have given that credit to Gladys Knight, who does, believe it or not, make it into the film. 

 
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