--- description: The Simpsons has pulled one of its fan favorite episodes featuring Michael Jackson's voice following the release of 'Leaving Neverland'. title: 'The Simpsons' Pulls Michael Jackson Episode image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da87c839f4e8841/6989466cdb298705db261f58/the-simpsons-pulls-michael-jackson-episode.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _The Simpsons_ Pulls Michael Jackson Episode Following HBO's _Leaving Neverland_ Release  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 8, 2019 4:14 PM CUT  THE SIMPSONS: Homer wants a promotion at the nuclear plant and asks Marge to help him dress the part in the all-new Trust But Clarify episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, Oct. 23 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX via Getty Images) THE SIMPSONS: Homer wants a promotion at the nuclear plant and asks Marge to help him dress the part in the all-new Trust But Clarify episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, Oct. 23 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX via Getty Images)FOX—2016 FOX  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 8, 2019 4:14 PM CUT [_The Simpsons_](http://time.com/3636198/the-simpsons-25-years/ "undefined") is pulling an episode featuring the voice of [Michael Jackson](http://time.com/5510748/leaving-neverland-michael-jackson/ "undefined"), following the release of the controversial HBO documentary [_Leaving Neverland._](http://time.com/5541385/michael-jackson-leaving-neverland-legacy/ "undefined") In an interview with the [_Wall Street Journal_](https://www.wsj.com/articles/simpsons-episode-featuring-michael-jacksons-voice-to-be-pulled-11552007802 "undefined"), James L. Brooks, the show’s longtime executive producer, said that removing the 1991 episode titled “Stark Raving Dad,” was “clearly the only choice to make.” The episode featured Jackson’s voice as a character named Leon Kompowsky, a patient in a mental institution who believes that he is Michael Jackson; the episode was a fan favorite, especially since it features a memorable scene where Jackson sings a special birthday song to Lisa. The episode has already been removed from Simpsons World and Brooks said that the process has been started to remove it from syndication and future physical media editions. “I’m against book burning of any kind, but this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter,” Brooks said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5548035/simpsons-michael-jackson/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5548035/simpsons-michael-jackson/"},"headline":"The Simpsons Pulls Michael Jackson Episode Following HBO's Leaving Neverland Release","datePublished":"2019-03-08T16:14:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:57:59.865Z","description":"Here's what you need to know","url":"https://time.com/5548035/simpsons-michael-jackson/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da87c839f4e8841/6989466cdb298705db261f58/the-simpsons-pulls-michael-jackson-episode.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5da87c839f4e8841/6989466cdb298705db261f58/the-simpsons-pulls-michael-jackson-episode.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"FOX's \"The Simpsons\" - Season Twenty-Eight","caption":"FOX's \"The Simpsons\" - Season Twenty-Eight","creditText":"FOX—2016 FOX","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5548035/simpsons-michael-jackson/","name":"The Simpsons Pulls Michael Jackson Episode Following HBO's Leaving Neverland Release"}}]}] ```