POPSUGAR

The Controversial Michael Jackson TV Show Starring Joseph Fiennes Will Not Air, Thank God

Jan 13 2017 - 6:43am

When it was announced that Joseph Fiennes would play Michael Jackson [1] in a British TV series, the internet, understandably, exploded. Hiring a white man to play a black man in the height of #OscarsSoWhite [2] incited a digital riot, and nearly a year after the news, a teaser was released to remind us all that this was indeed a terrible, terrible idea. The episode, part of a series called Urban Myths airing on Sky Arts in the UK, is about a rumored road trip that Jackson went on with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando after 9/11. Paris Jackson, Jackson's 18-year-old daughter, spoke out against the series in a collection of tweets [3]. Her cousin Taj Jackson also weighed in, saying, "Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect."

In light of the (understandable) outcry, the teaser has been pulled and the episode will not air [4]. "We have taken the decision not to broadcast 'Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon,' a half-hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson [5]'s immediate family," Sky said in a statement on Friday. "We set out to take a lighthearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offense." They also added that "Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision."


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Joseph-Fiennes-Michael-Jackson-Urban-Myths-42980485