Michael Jackson’s Nephew Jaafar Shuts Down ‘Misconception’ That Late Pop Legend ‘Wanted to Be White’

Jaafar Jackson is coming to the defense of his late uncle Michael Jackson, who long faced rumors that he changed his appearance because he wanted to be a white person.

Jermaine Jackson’s son, 29, plays his paternal uncle in the musical biographical film Michael, which will be released Friday, April 24, in the United States.

At the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Monday, April 20, Extra’s Derek Hough asked Jaafar about the biggest misconception the King of Pop — who died at age 50 in 2009 from an overdose of propofol and other prescription drugs — faced.

“The biggest misconception [was] that he wanted to be white,” Jaafar replied. “That’s a big misconception, and this film gives you that understanding of what that is — that vitiligo played a part in his life.”

“Not a lot of people really understand what that is,” Jaafar continued. “He was dealing with that from an early age.”

The “Thriller” singer previously addressed living with vitiligo — which “causes your skin to lose color or pigmentation,” per Cleveland Clinic — before his death.

According to The Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center at UMass Chan Medical School, Michael’s autopsy report stated that there were “patches of light and dark pigmented areas” on his skin upon examination, and vitiligo was listed as a diagnosis in his medical history.

UMass Chan Medical School also stated that the late Grammy Award winner used Benoquin 20% cream, a FDA-approved treatment for vitiligo.

He also reportedly tried other forms of treatment for the condition, which causes skin to appear lighter than its natural tone or turn white.

Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, previously praised the decision to cast Jaafar as the “Smooth Criminal” singer in the new biopic.

“Jaafar embodies my son,” she said at the time, per London newspaper The Times. “It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”