A CLASSIC EPISODE of The Simpsons featuring Michael Jackson’s voice will no longer air following a controversial documentary outlining allegations of sexual abuse against the deceased singer.
“It feels clearly the only choice to make,” the show’s executive producer James L Brooks told The Wall Street Journal.
The episode in question is ‘Stark Raving Dad’. In the episode, Homer Simpson meets a man called Leon Kompowsky who claims to be Michael Jackson. The singer voiced the character.
The decision comes after RTÉ yesterday confirmed that it won’t be adding Jackson to its playlists in order not to offend listeners.
RTÉ 1 presenter Ryan Tubridy had already said that he does not intend on playing Jackson’s music on his show going forward.
New Zealand’s public broadcaster RNZ will not be playlisting Jackson, and the Canadian stations CKOI, Rythme and The Beat are following suit.
The BBC, however, denied claims that it had “banned” Jackson’s music.
Allegations about the late singer have surfaced in the documentary Leaving Neverland, where two men, Wade Robson (36) and James Safechuck (41), outline the abuse they say they were subjected to.
The four-hour film was directed by British man Dan Reed, and the first part aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday. The second part aired last night.
Both Safechuck and Robson allege that Jackson abused them, gaining their families’ trust and manipulating them into keeping their sexual relations secret.
With reporting by Aoife Barry
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