HBO’s Leaving Neverland has had some major repercussions on the legacy of Michael Jackson. As the documentary reignited scrutiny over the late King of Pop’s long history of child sexual abuse allegations, everyone from Drake to The Simpsons has distanced themselves from the former King of Pop. Not so for worldwide wax figure museum institution Madame Tussauds, however, which has revealed its intention to keep its numerous statues of Jackson standing.
In a statement to TMZ, a spokesperson for Madame Tussauds said, “The figures on display at Madame Tussauds reflect profiles that have had an impact on popular culture and that visitors expect to see. Michael Jackson has been and is currently a feature of Madame Tussauds attractions around the world.” They added, “We regularly monitor our choice of figures on display based on external events and visitor feedback. It will be kept on display for the foreseeable future.
That means that, as of now, wax replicas of Jackson are currently still on display in London, New York, Shanghai and Sydney. If it’s true that Tussauds “monitors” their choices “based on external events and visitor feedback,” that “foreseeable future” may be shorter than they anticipated.
Jackson’s daughter, Paris, reportedly recently experienced a suicide scare in the wake of blowback from Leaving Neverland, though she denies the news. She’s also defended her father from the allegations in the doc.
