Prince Documentary That includes Abuse Declare by Ex Killed by Netflix

A sweeping, nine-hour lengthy documentary on Prince some six years within the making has been shelved by Netflix amid drama with the late star’s property, which can now be growing and producing a brand new, totally different documentary.

Netflix and Prince’s property launched a joint assertion on Friday, Feb. 7 saying that Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman’s long-in-the-works movie is not going to see the sunshine of day, they usually’ll as an alternative pivot to one thing totally different.

“The Prince Property and Netflix have come to a mutual settlement that can permit the property to develop and produce a brand new documentary that includes unique content material from Prince’s archive. In consequence, the Netflix documentary is not going to be launched,” the assertion learn.

A spokesperson for Edelman didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for remark.

Edelman was approached by Netflix in 2019 to make the movie, and was advised on the time that whereas he and Netflix would have remaining minimize, the “Purple Rain” singer’s property would be capable of overview the movie for factual accuracy, The New York Occasions reported in September.

When Prince’s property was lastly proven a minimize of the movie in 2023, legal professional L. Londell McMillan, an property administrator, responded by giving Edelman 17 pages of notes demanding adjustments, the Occasions — whose reporter Sasha Weiss attended the unique screening — reported. He agreed to some, however not others.

Weiss reported that the movie, which she known as a “cursed masterpiece,” was an in depth portrait of Prince’s music and profession, in addition to the darker sides of his private life, which he stored fiercely non-public earlier than he died in 2016 at age 57 of an unintentional overdose. The documentary included each vault footage and interviews with greater than 70 folks.

Edelman’s movie reportedly lined the devastating lack of his toddler son with ex-wife Mayte Garcia and his troublesome childhood, and included an interview with a former girlfriend who alleged bodily abuse. One scene options ex-love Jill Jones recounting an evening in 1984 wherein the Grammy winner punched her within the face repeatedly, in accordance with the outlet.

A Selection report in July indicated that the challenge was “useless within the water” after the screening, as property representatives deemed the movie factually incorrect, and felt it was “sensationalized.”

“We have now an obligation to honor and shield his legacy with a narrative that pretty exhibits him complexities in addition to his greatness. #no9hourhitjob,” Charles Spicer, Prince’s pal and former enterprise advisor who shaped Prince Legacy LLC with a few of the star’s heirs, reportedly posted on X in July in a since-deleted submit.

Following information that the documentary wouldn’t transfer ahead, McMillan wrote on X that “anybody disparaging or slandering Prince has an issue with me.”

“He had human flaws, as all of us do, however he was a fantastic man, biggest artist ever, philanthropist, innovator, and he helped many individuals together with me,” he wrote. “Individuals can say what they need however received’t use his platform to do it.”