Boy George Withdraws From ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Amid Criticism of Pro-Israel Song

The Culture Club frontman and British pop icon, Boy George, is backing out of an upcoming performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” amid uproar over his recently released pro-Israel song — but he says he is taking a page from President Trump’s playbook and is doubling down on his support for the Jewish state. Earlier this week, Boy George, whose real name is Alan O’Dowd, released a pro-Israel song titled “Od Nirkod,” which means “We will dance again.” That phrase has become a rallying cry for survivors of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, in which 378 people were killed. On Thursday, Boy George’s manager, Paul Kemsley, said the“Karma Chameleon” singer is withdrawing from his role as King Herod in “Jesus Christ Superstar” to ensure “everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.” Mr. Kemsley added “George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that.”The end to Boy George’s role in the rock opera is not leading him to shy away from his political views.In a post on X on Friday, Boy George wrote, “So many people are calling me and saying I should pipe down and let it blow over and while they mean well I’m afraid it’s not an option. Doubling down works for Donald Trump.”“If you have something powerful to say then you should have the guts to show the world who you are but most, if not all of you, are unwilling to show your faces and the only reason is self interest,” he said.The song, which was generated by AI, includes several lyrics defending Israel’s war against Hamas. The song’s opening lyrics include the line “You say genocide; I say war. When you’re attacked, that’s what the army is for.” The song also criticized the world’s “selective memory” around October 7. Anti-Israel commentators accused the pop icon of spreading “Zionist propaganda.” Another line declares, “I know you wanna kill every last one of us.”Boy George wrote on X that that line did not exclusively refer to Jews, saying, “I am also talking about us queers not just the Jewish community. When will you wake up?”The singer has previously expressed support for Israel and said he hopes to perform in the Jewish state again. In 2024, he joined roughly 400 artists and celebrities in supporting Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.Boy George was part of a rotating cast of five actors who were supposed to play King Herod at London in August. Actor Richard Armitage, one of the five actors in the lineup, will fill in for Boy George.

Boy George Withdraws From ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Amid Criticism of Pro-Israel Song

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