Ads portraying Michael Jackson’s innocence to be pulled down.
Britain’s government bodyTransport for London says it will be removing advertisements that proclaim late pop singer Michael Jackson is innocent. This is according to a report by the BBC.
The decision comes after a sexual assault victims’ charity said it was “concerned” about the adverts that have appeared on buses and bus stops. Posters were put up in response to the ‘Leaving Neverland’ documentary in which the ‘Thriller’ singer is accused of child sex abuse.
The adverts have been financed through a crowdfunding campaign and feature the slogan: “Facts don’t lie. People do.”
The poster campaign appeared after a “Michael Jackson Innocent” crowdfunding page hit its £20,000 target. It is reportedly being led by former Big Brother UK contestant and Jackson fanatic Seany O’Kane. A Survivors Trust, on the other hand, said the message could discourage victims of sexual assault from coming forward.
In the BBC report, Transport for London said in a statement, “We have reviewed our position and will be removing these advertisements. They have been rejected due to the public sensitivity and concern around their content.”
As earlier reported by The Sauce, the victims Wade Robson and James Safechuck claim they were molested and described the alleged incidents in graphic detail.
The revered singer died in 2009 so cannot defend himself, but his family and fans have been protesting his innocence since the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and aired on various TV outlets such as HBO this month.
The removal of the advertisements come after the singer’s music was removed on rotation by radio stations in Canada and New Zealand as well as a statue of the pop icon being removed from a London museum last week.
