Boy George has withdrawn from a West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar, days after releasing a pro-Israel song that sparked widespread backlash online.
The Culture Club frontman had been due to play King Herod in the London Palladium revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's long-running rock opera from August 3 to 15. But George's manager, Paul Kemsley, announced on Thursday that he would no longer appear.
"After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George's manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium," Kemsley said in a statement shared on Instagram.
"The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production."
Kemsley said he believed "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".
No reason was given for the withdrawal. But the announcement came just days after George released We Will Dance Again, a song expressing support for Israel that prompted a wave of criticism on social media.
The AI-assisted track references the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, saying people were killed "for the crime of dancing". It also criticises pro-Palestine musicians, accusing them of having a "selective memory" and being "propaganda fuelled by the internet". Another refrain declares: "You say genocide, I say war."
The song was removed from streaming platforms amid the backlash.
The October 7 attack led to Israel's devastating war on Gaza, which has so far killed more than 73,280 Palestinians in the enclave and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Fellow musicians were among those to condemn George over the song. English musician Martyn Ware, co-founder of Heaven 17 and the Human League, was among the most outspoken critics. "I honestly can't believe that my old friend Boy George has made an overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda," he said in a post on X. "George, you should be ashamed – I hope you think the money was enough to sell your soul … vile."
George rose to fame in the 1980s as the flamboyant frontman of Culture Club, whose hits, including Karma Chameleon, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me and Church of the Poison Mind, made the band one of the decade's biggest pop acts. In recent years, he has continued to tour, appear on TV and perform in musical theatre, while becoming increasingly outspoken in his support of Israel.
He has defended his position in recent months, saying he would not "turn my back" on Jewish friends and rejecting calls to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation in the event.
George had been one of six guest stars rotating through the role of King Herod during the 11-week run of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium. The revival stars Sam Ryder as Jesus, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, Layton Williams and Julian Clary taking turns in the role of Herod.
Deadline reported that Armitage is expected to cover George's scheduled performances.
Directed by Tim Sheader, the acclaimed production moved to the London Palladium after its successful run at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and has become one of the West End's biggest theatrical events of the summer.
