TeeRoy's 2 Cents:
- The museum claims the plan to take down the Jackson statue had been in the works for months.
- Jackson still has his defenders: Protests are set to take place today (Wednesday) outside the headquarters of the British network airing the film.
- The statue was put up by a rich owner of a sports franchise -- but there's little evidence Jackson was a soccer fan.
Hours before the documentary Leaving Neverland airs in Britain, the Manchester-based soccer club Fulham FC took down the replica of Jackson that has been placed there by British businessman and team chairman Mohammed Al Fayed, after Jackson’s death in 2009.
Michael had been a friend of Al Fayed, whose son Dodi was killed with Princess Diana in that 1997 car crash.
According to NME, the museum didn't tie the change to the Jackson scandal. Instead, execs say it's no longer being displayed as part of “ongoing plans” to “better represent” the sport’s stories.