Michael Jackson fans will not be able to see Kat Graham portray the legendary The Supremes singer Diana Ross in the upcoming film "Michael." Graham confirmed on her social media account that scenes not included in the final version of the Lionsgate-produced biopic were removed due to "certain legal issues." Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film is set to be released on April 24, featuring Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's nephew, in the lead role.

In her statement on X platform, Kat Graham wrote, "I want to share that certain legal issues affected the scenes I shot with a fantastic cast, including some scenes, before the release of the Michael Jackson film on April 24." According to the actress, although the team working on the film tried hard to preserve as much of the story as possible, unfortunately, these moments were cut from the final edit.

Earlier reports indicated that the initial long version of the film was set to include scenes depicting how Michael Jackson dealt with allegations of child sexual abuse. The third act of the film portrayed an accuser who could not be dramatized due to an agreement with Jackson's estate. Because of these legal complications, the film had to be restructured. Lionsgate is also working on another project focusing on the second part of Jackson's life before his death in 2009.

Michael Jackson developed a close relationship with Diana Ross after meeting her as a child performer in the Jackson 5. Jackson's brother Jermaine Jackson has stated that Michael wrote the 1992 song "Remember the Time" with Diana Ross in mind. While Graham is known for her role in "The Vampire Diaries," she has also appeared in recent projects such as "Love in the Villa" and "Tyler Perry's Duplicity."

THR's chief film critic David Rooney noted in his review of the film "Michael" that the production is "surprisingly impressive" and expressed that "the film is open to being accused of portraying Michael as a saint, which may not be well received by cancel culture advocates."