Transport for London (TfL) is to remove advertising that claims Michael Jackson is innocent of charges of sexual abuse against children.

Adverts with the slogan: “Facts don’t lie. People do” appeared on buses and bus stops, in the wake of the documentary Leaving Neverland being screened on Channel 4. The film features testimony from two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege that Jackson sexually abused them from the ages of seven and 10 onwards.

The posters had been funded by a crowdfunding campaign which raised £20,000, with campaigners arguing: “We would not think twice in turning our backs on his legacy, if we for one second felt that there was any truth at all in these heinous events.”

Speaking to the BBC, TfL said the posters would be removed, and “have been rejected due to the public sensitivity and concern around their content”.

The Survivors Trust, a charity for survivors of sexual abuse, had criticised TfL for allowing the posters to be displayed, saying the advertising “perpetuates fear” that victims will not be believed, adding: “The decision to prioritise advertising revenue over the option of remaining neutral on such an emotive topic is disappointing.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest One of the crowdfunded adverts in defence of Michael Jackson on a London bus. Photograph: @PenneyDesign

After weathering numerous allegations of child sexual abuse before his death in 2009, Jackson’s legacy as one of the greatest pop stars of all time has been badly damaged in the wake of the documentary, despite his estate, relatives and hardcore fans making vociferous denials of any wrongdoing. Radio stations have removed his songs from playlists, and a new biographical musical, Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough, has been postponed.

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A 1991 episode of The Simpsons that Jackson guest starred in was withdrawn from streaming services and TV channels by the show’s producers, who said it was “the only choice to make”.

Simpsons producer Al Jean has now suggested that Jackson used his guest appearance to groom further victims. “It looks like the episode was used by Michael Jackson for something other than what we’d intended it,” Jean said in an interview with the Daily Beast. “It wasn’t just a comedy to him, it was something that was used as a tool. And I strongly believe that. That, to me, is my belief, and it’s why I think removing it is appropriate.

“I think it was part of what he used to groom boys. I really don’t know, and I should be very careful because this is not something I know personally, but as far as what I think, that’s what I think.”