The original guitarist and co-founding member of ’90s alt-rock eccentrics Cake, Greg Brown, has died at age 55. The band shared the news via their social media account, where in a statement, Cake shared that Brown died “after a brief illness.” He was 55.
“Greg was an integral part of CAKE’s early sound and development,” the band’s statement continues. “His creative contributions were immense, and his presence—both musical and personal—will be deeply missed. Godspeed, Greg.”
The film has the backing of Michael Jackson’s estate, which maintains control over the late singer’s rights and likeness. However, the project has drawn criticism from some observers who question how the story handles the long-running abuse allegations tied to Jackson’s legacy. In a 2023 op-ed for The Observer, Dan Reed, director of Leaving Neverland, argued that a biopic approved by the estate could present an overly sympathetic portrayal. The following year, Reed told Variety that an early draft of the screenplay, which he described as misleading, appeared to challenge the accounts of Leaving Neverland participants Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
Greg Brown, Cake Co-Founder and Guitarist, Died at Age 55