Michael Jackson's name scrapped from MTV Video Vanguard Award after renewed child sex abuse allegations
MTV has reportedly removed Michael Jackson's name from its Video Vanguard Award, which recognizes one iconic artist during the annual Video Music Awards broadcast, in light of child sex abuse allegations made in HBO's documentary "Leaving Neverland."
This year's recipient was Missy Elliott, who seemingly made a point of saying the late singer's name during her acceptance speech — "The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award means so much to me," Elliott said — and MTV reportedly wrestled with how to handle the change in the months leading up to the ceremony.
"There’s a lot of heated discussion at the network about how to handle the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award this year, and it’s getting ugly," an insider told Page Six in July. "There’s talk about if they should change the name, or get rid of it altogether. [There’s also talk] about who would present it and who would accept it. It’s a mess."
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During her speech, Elliott thanked a number of people, including Janet Jackson. Jackson, herself a recipient of the same award in 1990, was not present at the VMAs.
The Video Vanguard Award was renamed to honor Michael Jackson in 1991, five years after he met a then 10-year-old boy named James Safechuck, who has since come forward with detailed allegations of sexual abuse. He and Wade Robson, who was 5 years old when he first met Jackson, describe the alleged abuse in "Leaving Neverland."
The Jackson estate has filed a lawsuit against HBO over the documentary. Jackson died in 2009.
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