Netflix will no longer release a documentary about Prince by filmmaker Ezra Edelman following a new deal with the late singer’s estate.
“The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive,” Netflix and the estate said in a statement on Thursday. “As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”
Following the announcement, the Prince Estate shared a video on X with the caption, “The Vault Has Been Freed.”
Edelman is best known for creating the Oscar-winning O.J.: Made in America documentary and has been working on his version of Prince’s story for almost five years. He was given extensive access to Prince’s archives for the documentary, which is reportedly nine hours long and features 70 interviews. According to a New York Times Magazine feature from September, Edelman’s project accuses Prince of physical and emotional abuse.
The documentary reportedly includes an interview with Prince’s ex-lover Jill Jones, who spoke of a night during which punched her in the face “over and over.” Another ex, Susannah Melvoin, reportedly said that after she moved in with the musician he monitored her phone calls, told her not to leave the house, and attempted to keep her separated from her sister. The Times reporter, who saw the film, confirmed that other interviews allege the singer suffered abuse as a child and could be controlling and emotionally manipulative.
Edelman told the Times, “How can you tell the truth about someone who, when you’re talking to people, they all had different things to say? How can you tell the truth about someone who never told the truth about himself?”
Edelman’s documentary caused controversy with the Prince Estate after the estate has changed hands. According to the Times, the new executors objected to the film after seeing a cut. They claiming it misrepresented Prince, leading to “a protracted battle with Netflix, which owns the rights to the film, to prevent its release.”
Last fall, Netflix told the Times in a statement, “This documentary project has proved every bit as complex as Prince himself. We have meticulously archived Prince’s life and worked hard to support Ezra’s series. But there are still meaningful contractual issues with the estate that are holding up a documentary release.”
The original deal for the documentary was made in 2018 between Netflix and representatives of Comerica Bank, the interim executor for the Prince Estate. Ava DuVernay was originally set to direct, but was later replaced with Edelman. Because the singer died without a will, the estate has been fraught with instability, leading to uncertainly and dispute about who is overseeing his legacy.
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