BOY George has been pulled off a West End performance days before he was set to take the stage as his manager scrambles to minimise backlash to a pro-Israel song.
Earlier this week the former Culture Club frontman released "We Will Dance Again", which featured the opening line "you say genocide, I said war, when you're attacked, that's what the army is for".
He goes on to describe Israel's assault as having got "ugly", before saying that it has done so because he "knows you want to kill every last one of us," referring to Jewish people living in Israel.
The release led to fierce backlash against the English singer.
His manager, Paul Kemsley, has now released statement saying he has made the decision to pull Boy George from a scheduled run in Andrew Llyod Weber's Jesus Christ Superstar.
He was set to play King Herod – a one-song cameo role that’s being rotated – from August 3 to 15.
“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company,” Kemsley wrote on Instagram.
“We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”
He added that “George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that”, but added: “Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.
#Shalom pic.twitter.com/0BfHIrThzO
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) July 26, 2026
“In 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.”
He offered his "sincere apologies" to the singer's fans who may have bought tickets specifically to see him.
"We offer our sincere apologies for the disappointment this decision may cause, and we are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support," he said.
Throughout the singer's recent track, he criticises other musicians who have voiced support for Palestine – such as Kneecap, Stormzy and Clairo – describing them as "musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep".
He goes on to speak about the October 7 attacks in 2023 at the Nova music festival, during which 344 civilians and 34 security personnel were killed and 44 people taken hostage by Hamas.
His lyrics read "you never mentioned October 7. Young girls raped against trees, murdered brutally, for the crime of dancing."
He goes on to say that "you condemned the Jews with selective memory", and through "propaganda fuelled by the internet."
Israel's genocidal assault into Gaza has killed more than 73,000 civilians and displaced close to 2 million Palestinians from their homes.
Two UN investigations have found that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza and the International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence secretary Yoav Gallant.
The warrants are for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, which the court said have been committed from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.
The ICC said it had found that the alleged crimes against humanity were part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza ".
He goes on to say: "Trust me we will dance again ... And there will be no war.
"But if you're ever confused, I stand with the Jews. I don't feel brave, I just need to behave like a human."
