Starbucks and other brands distance themselves from Michael Jackson following 'Leaving Neverland' broadcast

Following the broadcast of 'Leaving Neverland', many popular brands like Starbucks and Louis Vuitton are trying to distance themselves from Michael Jackson.

Earlier this month, HBO aired the documentary titled 'Leaving Neverland' which details allegations of sexual abuse committed by the late King of Pop. The film stirred controversy, drawing mixed reactions from the public. The late singer's family criticised the film, while, many fans and supporters of Jackson staged protests against the broadcast of the documentary.

Since its release, several big companies have taken steps to distance themselves from Jackson, reported E! News.

"@Starbucks Why are you still playing Michael Jackson in your stores?" a fan asked the famous coffee shop chain on Twitter recently.

"Thank you for making us aware. We can confirm there are currently no Michael Jackson songs on official Starbucks Spotify Playlists. Would you mind sharing the store location so we can follow-up?" the brand replied in a tweet.

Starbucks isn't the only brand that has stopped playing Jackson's songs. Several radio stations in Canada and New Zealand have also banned the late singer's music from their playlists in the wake of the recent allegations made in the documentary.

However, streams of the late artist's music have remained steady.

The famous fashion brand Louis Vuitton has also distanced itself from the singer after the broadcast of the film.

In a statement to WWD as cited by E! News, the company stated that the documentary has caused the fashion brand "the greatest pain," adding that the company was "unaware" of it at the time of the fall 2019 menswear fashion show.

The show took place a week before the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The collection drew inspiration from Jackson's pop culture legacy for the fashion show.

"We find the allegations in the documentary deeply troubling and disturbing. Child safety and welfare is of the utmost importance to Louis Vuitton. We are fully committed to advocating this cause," said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton's chairman and chief executive officer.

Following the release of the recent documentary, the producers of The Simpsons also removed an iconic 1991 episode featuring Jackson's voice from all the official online streams and TV feeds.

Rapper Drake during his 2018 U.S. tour performed his track titled 'Don't Matter to Me', which features vocals that Jackson recorded in 1983. Drake went on a new tour in Europe a week after 'Leaving Neverland' aired and amid growing controversy, his set lists removed the song.

National Football Museum, located in Manchester, England, removed a statue of Jackson following the allegations against him. It was removed as a part of "ongoing plans" to "better represent" football's stories, according to the BBC as cited by E! News.

'Leaving Neverland' tells the story of two men Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both of the men say that they met Jackson as children when the singer was at the height of his fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They allege that Jackson sexually abused them, causing them trauma lasting into their adulthood.

Jackson's estate has criticised the film, previously calling it "tabloid character assassination.