A Michael Jackson themed charity disco has been cancelled following the allegations in a controversial documentary.
Organisers of Ultimate Civic Disco (UCD), scheduled to be held in April at the Alban Arena, have announced that the event will no longer go ahead.
It was marketed as a Thriller night playing a range of The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson hits, with all proceeds going towards the new St Albans Museum + Gallery in St Peter’s Street.
The cancellation comes after a four-hour documentary by Dan Reed aired on Channel 4 last week called Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me.
It featured two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as young children by the internationally famous popstar over a number of years.
UCD posted on its Facebook page: “Sensitive to the concerns raised by recent broadcast material concerning Michael Jackson, we have decided to cancel the UCD scheduled for April 27 - we are considering the possibility of replacing it with a summer event and are keeping the November 23 date in the programme.
“We will refund all April tickets and offer special concessions to ticket holders for future events.
“We would like to offer our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this cancellation which has been occasioned by events completely outside our control.”
Since it aired, Leaving Neverland has sent shockwaves through the singer’s fanbase, sparked furious debate, and hit national headlines.
BBC Radio 2 has reportedly dropped Michael Jackson’s songs, long-standing cartoon The Simpsons has removed an episode featuring the singer’s voice, and numerous celebrities have Tweeted about the allegations.
Documentary maker Louis Theroux wrote: “If you can’t see that Michael Jackson was a paedophile after watching @danreed1000‘s film you are being wilfully blind. And if you are campaigning against it you are actively colluding in the silencing of victims.”
Transport for London has also recently removed adverts funded by a Michael Jackson innocence campaign, which uses the slogan: “Facts don’t lie. People do.”
Following the UCD announcement on March 12, a Facebook profile using a picture of the singer as a profile picture reviewed the event’s page. They said: “You are no better than tabloid trash.”
UCD has been contacted for comment.
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