Final month, Netflix shelved a nine-part Prince documentary directed by Ezra Edelman in favor of a brand new, estate-approved challenge. Now, Edelman has gone on the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out to blast the streaming large and Prince’s property for his or her “short-sightedness” and being “afraid” to point out his flaws.
“It’s a joke… I can’t get previous this — the short-sightedness of a gaggle of individuals whose curiosity is their very own backside line,” Edelman instructed Torre. “They’re afraid of his humanity.”
He additionally stated that Prince’s crew despatched an inventory of editorial adjustments relatively than checking the movie for historic accuracy. “You suppose I’ve any curiosity in placing out a movie that’s factually inaccurate?” he stated, whereas noting the actions have been just like Prince’s personal repute as a management freak.
Edelman known as the docuseries “a present,” saying it was “a nine-hour remedy about an artist that was, by the best way, fucking sensible.” He added, “Every part about who you imagine he’s, is on this film. You get to wash in his genius. And but you need to confront his humanity.”
Nonetheless, Edelman admitted to not shying away from Prince’s flaws: “Folks had points with how he handled folks — he was emotionally abusive, he was bodily abusive.” Watch clips of the podcast episode beneath, adopted by the total factor.
Edelman, who’s greatest identified for steering O.J.: Made in America, spent 5 years engaged on the documentary, which included footage from Prince’s archive alongside interviews with lots of his buddies, collaborators, enterprise companions, and lovers.
Earlier than Netflix introduced in February that the challenge was being shelved, The New York Occasions Journal revealed a prolonged report, revealing it alleged bodily and emotional abuse dedicated by Prince. Nonetheless, author Sasha Weiss in the end described its complete as “an act of witness and a type of accompaniment for a lonely musical genius.”
Nonetheless, Prince’s property believed the doc “misrepresented” his legacy after seeing an early reduce, triggering a “protracted battle” with Netflix that resulted in a brand new documentary touting “unique content material from Prince’s archive.”
It’s value noting that this isn’t the primary time particulars have emerged about Prince’s darker aspect. In a 2021 interview with The New York Occasions, Sinéad O’Connor recalled a terrifying confrontation with Prince at his Hollywood mansion and stated he was “a violent abuser of girls.”
The brand new Prince documentary isn’t the one challenge in regards to the late artist within the works. Final 12 months, it was reported Ryan Coogler is about to supply a jukebox musical film that includes Prince’s music.
Oscar-winning director Ezra Edelman speaks for the primary time about Netflix and Prince’s property mutually agreeing to not launch his documentary.
“It is a joke. … I am unable to get previous this — the short-sightedness of a gaggle of individuals whose curiosity is their very own backside line. They’re… pic.twitter.com/Q8xsIsuRsY
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) March 4, 2025
“There’s a number of individuals who instructed me that, based mostly on Prince’s mind, he principally virtually felt that he was being punished for his sins. Folks had points with how he handled folks — he was emotionally abusive, he was bodily abusive.”
Director Ezra Edelman explains the advanced… pic.twitter.com/6ypTAX1AL1
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) March 4, 2025