UPDATED 2019/03/07 2:00PM
The HBO Documentary Leaving Neverland is proving to have consequences for Michael Jackson, even though he is not around to witness them for himself. Radio stations in New Zealand and Canada have decided to drop Jackson’s music from their playlists, citing the new accusations of abuse by the late pop star as reasons for the decision.
Many fans of Jackson’s have expressed sympathy for the victims, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accuse the singer of sexually abusing them over a period of several years, and the radio stations explain that they only play music that their listeners want to hear. Right now, that is not Michael Jackson.
Jackson’s statue was also removed from Britain’s National Football Museum. The statue has been displayed since 2014, but was removed this week in the wake of the documentary. A spokesperson said of the decision, “As part of our ongoing plans to better represent the stories we want to tell, we have made a decision to remove the Michael Jackson statue from display.”