Fans noticed it on opening night, and La Toya Jackson addressed it directly: Janet Jackson is not in the new Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," and she isn't portrayed by a character in it either. At Monday's premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, La Toya gave a straightforward explanation.

"I wish everybody was in the movie," La Toya told Variety. "She was asked and she kindly declined — so you have to respect her wishes."

Director Antoine Fuqua addressed Janet's absence with grace. "I have so much respect and love for Janet, but you know it's okay," he told reporters. "She's supportive of Jaafar and that's what matters."

The biopic — directed by Fuqua and written by John Logan — covers Michael Jackson's life from his childhood in the Jackson 5 through his early solo career, ending in 1988. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, plays the King of Pop as an adult, with Juliano Krue Valdi portraying him as a child. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson and Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson. La Toya is portrayed by Jessica Sula.

La Toya had high praise for Jaafar's performance. "I have to tell you that Jaafar was absolutely fabulous," she said. "We all forget and think that we're watching Mike. It's like, 'Oh, I forgot this is Jaafar.'"

The film opens April 24. Early critical reception has been mixed, with many reviews praising Jaafar's performance while criticizing the script as overly sanitized.