Posters proclaiming Michael Jackson‘s innocence in the wake of the Leaving Neverland documentary will be removed from London city buses, according to the city’s transport agency.
Hey @TfL @MayorofLondon very disappointed to see that you've allowed this ad on your bus network — esp given recent work on wider advertising standards across the network #BelieveVictims #MichaelJackson @Channel4 pic.twitter.com/YxbVMIOnf4
— Michelle Warbis (@michellewarbis) March 13, 2019
Jackson supporters paid for the bus advertisements, which read “Facts Don’t Lie. People Do,” in response to the allegations of sexual abuse and decades of trauma exposed by the recent HBO documentary. Transport For London, the agency that runs the city’s bus system, told the BBC that the posters would be taken down due to “public sensitivity and concern around their content.”
https://twitter.com/itsjoerack/status/1103981359150845953
The decision comes after the Survivors Trust, a charity for survivors of sexual abuse and assault, criticized TFL for letting the posters be displayed in the first place. The group said that billboards proclaiming Jackson’s innocence “perpetuate fear” that victims will not be believed when they come forward. “The decision to prioritize advertising revenue over the option of remaining neutral on such an emotive topic is disappointing,” said a representative for the charity in a press statement, as reported by The Guardian.
Leaving Neverland focuses on the allegations of two men who allege to have been abused by the pop singer for years, beginning when they were young boys. In the wake of the documentary, US radio and television stations have been banning Jackson’s music, and the singer’s streaming and album sales numbers have declined dramatically.
