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Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesHours after Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris said that seeing British actor Joseph Fiennes portraying her late father in the TV show Urban Myths made her “want to vomit,” the show has pulled the episode.
Urban Myths: A Brand New Collection of Comedies is what the British network Sky Arts describes as dramatizations of “true…ish” pop culture stories. One of the episodes was to feature Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson and Marlon Brando fleeing New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
A trailer, which has now been removed, dropped earlier this week. It showed Fiennes as Jackson, wearing what appears to be a prosthetic nose.
Sky Arts issued an official statement this morning explaining its decision to pull the episode.
“We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon, a 30min episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series,” the message begins. “This decision was taken in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family.”
The statement continues, “We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events & never intended to cause any offense. Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision.”
Paris Jackson, Michael’s daughter, wrote Wednesday on Twitter, “i’m so incredibly offended by it, as i’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.”
As previously reported, Paris wasn’t the only Jackson family member to speak out about the portrayal.
“Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect,” MJ’s nephew Taj Jackson wrote on Wednesday.
The show’s director, Ben Palmer, previously told the British paper The Guardian, “we really think Joe Fiennes…[has] given a really sweet, nuanced, characterful performance.”
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after complaints episode family Fiennes jackson joseph michael Myths pulled starring urban
