Editor’s Note: The following open letter was transmitted privately to Netflix leadership on the night of Friday, May 22. Decked Out Magazine has received no substantive response to our inquiries. We are now publishing this letter in the public interest. Netflix’s silence is no longer an option. Here’s that letter.

To the Leadership of Netflix:

I am writing to you as the Vice President of Decked Out Magazine to express serious concerns regarding the editorial direction, personnel choices, and transparency surrounding your upcoming Michael Jackson docuseries, Michael Jackson: The Verdict. The early indicators suggest a troubling pattern that cannot be ignored. Netflix owes its audience a clear explanation before this project proceeds any further.

The Producer Who Erased Her Past

One of the film’s edit producers, Anya Cooper, previously worked for AMOS Pictures in 2023, the same studio responsible for Leaving Neverland in 2019, a film whose credibility has since collapsed under factual scrutiny, legal reversals, and public exposure of its one‑sided construction. What raises even greater concern is that Cooper recently removed this from her work history on her LinkedIn profile, only after public attention began to surface. This is not the behavior of someone confident in the neutrality of their past work. It is the behavior of someone attempting to possibly conceal a conflict of interest.

Netflix must address why a producer with direct ties to one of the most discredited portrayals of Michael Jackson is now shaping another high‑stakes project about him, and why that connection was quietly scrubbed from public view.

The Executive Producer Who Helped Destroy Him

Additionally, one of the executive producers on this project, James Goldston, previously produced the 2003 “documentary” Living With Michael Jackson—yes, the documentary fronted by the now‑disgraced Martin Bashir. That film’s manipulative editing and sensational framing directly triggered the 2005 trial, a trial that consumed Jackson’s life and contributed to the chain of events that ultimately led to his death. This history is not irrelevant. It is foundational. To place Goldston in a leadership role on yet another Michael Jackson project without acknowledging this past is a profound lapse in judgment.

The Uncomfortable Question of Race and Representation

There is also a broader issue that demands an honest answer: why is every key creative and editorial figure on this docuseries British and white? This is a critique of an institutional pattern. British media institutions have a long, well‑documented history of sensationalized, racially charged, and tabloid‑driven coverage of Michael Jackson. The record is extensive. The bias is undeniable.

To assemble yet another all‑British, all‑white team to reinterpret the life of a Black American artist—one who was relentlessly targeted by those same media ecosystems, is not only tone‑deaf but structurally irresponsible. A story of this cultural magnitude demands diversity of perspective, cultural literacy, and historical sensitivity. Instead, the current team composition suggests a recycling of the same worldview that has already done measurable harm.

“Strict Historical Account” or Just More Tabloid Bias?

Nick Green, the director, has publicly stated that this series will be a “strict historical account” that allows viewers to decide for themselves. Yet the personnel choices, the concealed work histories, and the involvement of media figures with long‑documented biases tell a very different story, one that resembles a tabloid‑style retread rather than a balanced historical examination. Michael Jackson deserves better. Your audience deserves better. History deserves better.

Our Formal Requests

For these reasons, I am formally requesting the following:

1. A clear explanation of Anya Cooper’s past work with AMOS Pictures and why it was removed from her public résumé.
2. A statement addressing James Goldston’s involvement in Living With Michael Jackson and how Netflix intends to mitigate the inherent conflict of interest.
3. A transparent breakdown of the editorial team’s composition and the rationale behind the lack of cultural and racial diversity.
4. A commitment to ensuring that this docuseries does not repeat the sensationalism, bias, and selective storytelling that have historically plagued Michael Jackson–related media.

The Opportunity to Do Better

Netflix has the opportunity to correct a decades‑long pattern of misrepresentation. Doing so requires honesty, transparency, and a willingness to confront the biases embedded in the production process itself.

Sincerely,

Andrew Greene
Vice President
Decked Out Magazine

Editor’s Postscript

Decked Out Magazine stands by the concerns raised in this letter. As of publication, Netflix has not responded to our Vice President’s private email sent May 22, nor to follow-up requests for comment. We believe the questions outlined here are not accusations but legitimate requests for transparency, ones any responsible streamer should answer willingly. If Netflix chooses to reply after publication, we will publish their response in full. Until then, this open letter serves as a public record of what the company has been asked, and what it has so far chosen to ignore. History is watching. So are we.

About the Author

Andrew Greene is a quality-obsessed, results-driven powerhouse with nearly two decades of experience transforming complexity into clear, actionable solutions. His secret weapon? A mix of analytical sharpness, problem-solving precision and a communication and leadership style that’s equal parts clarity and charisma. From Quality Assurance to political data analysis, you can think of him as the Swiss Army knife of operational excellence, minus the corkscrew (unless it’s a team celebration).