'MJ Innocent' posters have begun to appear on the side of London buses, following the release of Leaving Neverland this week.
After the 2019 film, which focuses on claims that Michael Jackson sexually abused Wade Robson and James Safechuck as children, was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, people on social media started to post pictures of red buses with the hashtag "#MJINNOCENT" on them.
The advert features an image of the Thriller musician's face and is accompanied by a message that reads: "Fact don't lie. People do." Furthermore, it has the address of a website, MJInnocent.com, which links to a crowdfunding page for the bus adverts.
The website asks people to donate to the London Bus Campaign and lays out several reasons why Jackson is not guilty of the allegations made in Leaving Neverland.
"We believe the accusations levelled against Michael Jackson are false and here we will explain why," the page reads, before claiming that Robson and Safechuck swore under oath that Jackson never did anything inappropriate and the accusations were made after he passed away because the alleged victims no longer had to fear legal repercussions, as the law does not currently protect the deceased from defamation.
It also claims: "Robson quit his role as director of the film Step Up 4 and was rejected for the lead choreography job in the Michael Jackson themed Cirque du Soleil show. It was following this rejection that he suddenly realised he had been abused."
Fans of the Bad singer gathered outside of the Channel 4 headquarters in London ahead of the documentary airing, congregating at the broadcaster’s base in Horseferry Road, London and displaying banners with Jackson’s face covered by the word "innocent".
However, devotees of the star were dealt another blow today, when an episode of The Simpsons featuring the deceased icon was pulled from circulation.
The episode, titled Stark Raving Dad, sees Homer get admitted to a psychiatric ward. While there, he meets Leon Kompowsky, a patient who sings Billie Jean and shows off his moonwalk dance. The joke of the episode is that Leon's delusion makes him think he is MJ - but he was actually voiced by the singer.
"This was a treasured episode. There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one, and this certainly doesn’t allow them to remain," said the show's executive producer, James L. Brooks.
He went on to explain their feeling that it would be wrong to continue showing the episode, saying: "It feels clearly the only choice to make... The guys I work with– where we all spend our lives arguing over jokes — were of one mind on this. It feels clearly the only choice is to make. The documentary gave evidence of monstrous behaviour."
He added: "I’m against book burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter."