• Michael Jackson's 26-year-old nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the King of Pop in the bio-pic "Michael" to begin shooting this year, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Lionsgate announced Jackson's casting this week for the film being produced by Oscar-winning "Bohemian Rhapsody" producer Graham King. Jackson is the second-youngest son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael's brother. He's put out music of his own; in 2019, he released his debut single, "Got Me Singing." "Michael" will be Jackson's acting debut. "I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael," King said. "It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role." On Instagram, Fuqua shared a black-and-white photograph of Jackson in character. He said Jackson "has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera." On Twitter, Jackson said he's "humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael's story to life." "Michael" will be an authorized portrait of the pop star, who died in 2009. It's being written by "Gladiator" and "The Aviator" screenwriter John Logan "Jaafar embodies my son," Katherine Jackson said. "It's so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers."
• Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward, claiming he never had permission to publicly release interview recordings made for the book "Rage." The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Pensacola, Fla., against Woodward, publisher Simon & Schuster and the publisher's parent company, Paramount Global. Trump's attorneys are seeking nearly $50 million in damages. Simon & Schuster and Woodward responded that Trump's lawsuit is without merit and they will defend against it aggressively. "All these interviews were on the record and recorded with President Trump's knowledge and agreement," they said. "Moreover, it is in the public interest to have this historical record in Trump's own words. We are confident that the facts and the law are in our favor." The lawsuit claims Trump consented to being recorded for a series of interviews between December 2019 and August 2020, but only for a book Woodward was working on. "Rage" was published in September 2021. Trump claims Woodward and Simon & Schuster violated his copyright by releasing the audio recordings in November 2022 as "The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump."