There is such a thing as life rights. According to this firm, they act as a protection against lawsuits related to publicity rights, invasion of privacy, and defamation.

So, a documentarian could report on the public aspects of Michael Jackson’s life, but if I wanted to discuss or speculate about his private life, I would need rights from his estate.

There are lots of exceptions, such as public interest, etc. But again, I’m not a lawyer. (Is there a legal lemmy presence?)