Donnell Rawlings Defends Michael Jackson Allegations Being Cut From Biopic

Donnell Rawlings is standing firmly in Michael Jackson’s corner ... telling us the filmmakers were right to reportedly spend millions reworking the upcoming biopic to remove references to abuse allegations.

Check out the clip ... we caught up with the comedian over the weekend and asked whether the reported $25M overhaul to reshoot the third act -- which featured sexual abuse allegations against the pop star -- was the right move ... and Donnell didn’t hesitate to give his POV.

He pointed to the fact Michael was acquitted in his 2005 criminal trial and said the allegations ultimately amounted to “speculation” ... adding the movie shouldn’t tarnish the King of Pop’s legacy by ending on accusations instead of his contributions to music and the world.

Donnell told us people should remember Michael for “healing the world” and being “the greatest performer that we’ve ever seen” ... making it crystal clear where he stands on the controversy.

He also brought up Prince Jackson ... revealing Prince personally invited him to the film’s premiere.

According to Donnell, the two bonded years ago during a river trip in Ohio ... and he says Prince once told him he appreciated seeing the relationship Donnell had with his own son because it reminded him of experiences he didn’t always get with his famous father.