An episode of The Simpsons featuring voice acting from late pop star Michael Jackson has been pulled from circulation following the release of Leaving Neverland, an HBO documentary about his alleged abuse of children.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Simpsons Executive Producer James L. Brooks said pulling the episode was “clearly the only choice to make.”
In the episode, which aired in 1991, Homer Simpson is sent to a mental hospital and befriends Michael Jackson while there. The Jackson character is voice-acted by the singer himself, but is depicted totally different.
The new documentary Leaving Neverland features the allegations of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who claim that the “Billie Jean” singer molested them as boys.
Jackson’s family has denounced the documentary, calling it a “public lynching” and accusing the men of being “admitted liars.”
The estate has now sued HBO, saying, “Michael is an easy target because he is not here to defend himself, and the law does not protect the deceased from defamation, no matter how extreme the lies are.”
“Michael may not have lived his life according to society’s norms, but genius and eccentricity are not crimes,” the lawsuit reads.
Following the documentary’s release, radio stations across the world dropped Jackson’s music.
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