Boy George has been pulled from his role in a London production of Jesus Christ Superstar days before his debut and only a short time after releasing a controversial pro-Israel song.
Boy George’s manager, Paul Kemsley, announced in a Thursday social media post that he had canceled the Culture Club singer’s two-week appearance as Jewish King Herod, which was set for August 3rd to 15th, in the rock opera.
“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company,” Kemsley said. “We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”
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Kemsley also offered “our sincere apologies” to fans who purchased tickets to see Boy George in the musical, adding, “We are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support.”
The manager did not give an exact reason for pulling his client from the production but hinted that Boy George’s performance may cause a distraction from the production.
“George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that,” Kemsley said. “Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”
What might take the focus away from the production in context of Boy George is controversy following him after he released an extremely direct pro-Israel song on July 26th called “We Will Dance Again.”
The reggae song features lyrics like “You say genocide/ I say war,” and “You condemn the Jews with selective memory/ Musicians holding flags mouthing like sheep/ Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak.”
Boy George also admitted he used AI to create the song, saying it was “AI for good,” as reported by NME. “Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!” he added.