Nia Long is said to be “quietly fighting” Lionsgate over a pay discrepancy tied to her role in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, according to a new report from Puck News.
The actress reportedly had a “favored nations” clause in her contract — a standard industry provision ensuring she would earn no less than her co-stars. However, she allegedly discovered that co-stars Colman Domingo and Miles Teller received higher payouts than she did.
According to Puck News, Long is now “threatening to take the studio to mediation” over the alleged salary shortfall.
Long portrays Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s mother, in the film. Her character has a limited presence in the final cut — but Puck News reportedly reviewed the original script and found that Long had a substantially larger role in the third act, including what was described as a key scene near the film’s conclusion.
As previously reported, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King each received significant additional compensation — $10 million and $6 million, respectively — for last-minute edits and reshoots related to scenes involving longstanding allegations of misconduct surrounding Jackson’s legacy. It remains unclear whether those production changes contributed to the reduction of Long’s screen time.
Lionsgate has not issued a public statement in response to the report. Long’s representatives have also not commented publicly on the matter.
