Netflix has officially pulled the plug on a nine-part Prince documentary, and the filmmaker behind it is not staying silent.
Award-winning director Ezra Edelman, known for O.J.: Made in America, spent five years creating a deep, unfiltered look at Prince’s genius, his flaws, and his impact on music history. But in a shocking move, Netflix shelved the project last month in favor of an estate-approved version—one that, according to Edelman, strips away Prince’s raw humanity and leaves only a polished myth.
The Battle Over Prince’s Image
Edelman, speaking on the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, made his frustration clear.
“It’s a joke… They’re afraid of his humanity,” he said, blasting both Netflix and Prince’s estate for what he sees as a refusal to show the full scope of who Prince truly was.
Instead of reviewing the film for factual accuracy, Edelman says the estate sent a list of editorial changes, signaling that their goal was to control the narrative rather than let history speak for itself.
“You think I have any interest in putting out a film that is factually inaccurate?” Edelman asked.
His documentary reportedly featured never-before-seen footage from Prince’s archives alongside interviews with those closest to him—musicians, business partners, and personal friends. The project aimed to celebrate Prince’s brilliance while acknowledging the complexities that came with his legendary career.
A Sanitized Legacy?
The pushback from the estate comes after The New York Times Magazine published an in-depth report revealing that the documentary did not shy away from Prince’s complicated history, including alleged emotional and physical abuse. The report described the film as “an act of witness and a kind of accompaniment for a lonely musical genius.”
This isn’t the first time these allegations have surfaced. In a 2021 interview with The New York Times, Sinéad O’Connor recounted a disturbing confrontation with Prince at his Hollywood mansion, calling him “a violent abuser of women.”
Despite these revelations, Edelman insists the documentary was not an attack on Prince but a full-bodied portrait—one that allowed audiences to see the man behind the music while still honoring his legendary contributions.
Why It Matters
The battle over this documentary raises larger questions about who gets to control an artist’s legacy. Should Prince be remembered honestly, flaws and all, or should his image remain untouched, preserved only through estate-approved projects?
This debate is not just about Prince—it’s about how we tell the stories of music icons, how history is shaped, and whether the truth should ever be sacrificed in favor of protecting a legend’s image.
Where do you stand? Should the world get to see Prince’s full story, or is there value in maintaining the mystique he worked so hard to create?
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