{"id":970860,"date":"2026-07-31T08:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T08:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/970860\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T08:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T08:10:22","slug":"boy-george-pulls-out-of-jesus-christ-superstar-after-releasing-pro-israel-single","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/970860\/","title":{"rendered":"Boy George pulls out of Jesus Christ Superstar, after releasing pro-Israel single"},"content":{"rendered":"

British pop icon Boy George has pulled out of a slate of appearances as Herod in a London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, his manager said, amid controversy over the singer\u2019s recently released pro-Israel song<\/a> \u201cWe Will Dance Again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George\u2019s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium,\u201d Paul Kemsley said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Though Kemsley did not explicitly name backlash over \u201cWe Will Dance Again\u201d as what prompted the decision, he appeared to refer to it, writing: \u201cGeorge has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cEqually, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others,\u201d Kemsley continued. \u201cIn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The performer himself has not yet spoken publicly about the withdrawal. His appearances in the musical were slated to begin on Monday, and run through August 15.<\/p>\n

The former Culture Club frontman released \u201cWe Will Dance Again\u201d earlier this week. The title of the song is a phrase adopted by survivors of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza.<\/p>\n

In total, 378 people out of the roughly 1,200 whom the Hamas-led fighters killed that day were murdered at the festival or while trying to flee the grounds to safety, and of the 251 people whom the terrorists abducted and then held hostage in Gaza, dozens were kidnapped from the Nova site.<\/p>\n

The song includes lyrics such as: \u201cYou say genocide, I say war \/ When you\u2019re attacked, that\u2019s what the army\u2019s for,\u201d and \u201cYou never mention October 7.\u201d At one point in the song, he declares: \u201cIf you\u2019re ever confused: I stand with the Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its release, the song has been met with gratitude from Israelis and their supporters. Others, such as fellow musician and erstwhile friend Martyn Ware, have responded with scorn, calling the track \u201covertly pro-genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Boy George is not Jewish, he has become increasingly vocal when it comes to supporting Jewish communities in the wake of October 7, including rejecting calls to boycott this year\u2019s Eurovision Song Contest over Israel\u2019s participation, saying he would not \u201cturn my back\u201d on his Jewish friends.<\/p>\n

JTA contributed to this report.<\/p>\n


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