Michael Jackson's 'Simpsons' Episode Not Included On Disney+
The introduction of Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, rolled out this past Tuesday, Nov. 12. The service’s debut has granted fans access to the media behemoth’s vast collection of content. As a result of Disney’s recent acquisition of Fox, the full Simpsons library will be housed in its entirety on the newly launched platform, sans one noteworthy episode.
“Stark Raving Dad," the first episode of the cartoon's third season, is not on the platform, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The episode featured Michael Jackson as a guest star, although he was never officially credited for the role. Instead, the series’ third season begins with "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington.”
Although Disney has not commented on the matter, THR noted that the Simpsons’ executive producers, James Brook, Matt Groening and Al Jean, pulled the episode prior the series’ Disney+ launch after disturbing child abuse allegations against the King of Pop resurfaced via HBO’s highly controversial Leaving Neverland documentary. In the special, James Safechuck and Wade Robson alleged that the pop icon had molested them when they were children.
“The guys I work with—where we spend our lives arguing over jokes—were of one mind on this,” Brooks explained to the Wall Street Journal this past March.
Although Jackson was never convicted of any of the alleged crimes, various companies and organizations who had previously worked with the pop icon have begun to disassociate themselves from his tainted legacy.
Jackson’s fans are sounding off on social media with fiery responses to the singer’s exclusion from the platform.
