Simpsons boss Al Jean believes Michael Jackson used his 'Simpsons' appearance to groom boys

Al Jean, the longtime show-runner of The Simpsons, has said that he thinks Michael Jackson may have used his starring role on the show to groom young boys.

Jackson voiced an inmate at a psychiatric facility in the episode Stark Raving Dad, penned by Jean himself, in which Homer is committed.

But in an interview with The Daily Beast, in the wake of the allegations made against Jackson in the documentary Leaving Neverland, Jean has said that he’s since become concerned about why the singer agreed to appear.

Read more: Jackson family ‘torn apart’ by Leaving Neverland

“I think it was part of what he used to groom boys,” Jean said.

“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. And that makes me very, very sad.”

It comes after show-makers confirmed that they would be removing the episode from circulation.

Speaking about pulling the episode, Jean added: “It’s something I agree with completely.

“What saddens me is, if you watch that documentary – which I did, and several of us here did – and you watch that episode, honestly, it looks like the episode was used by Michael Jackson for something other than what we’d intended it.

Read more: Six facts about the Jackson abuse allegations

“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 lose a little bit of money financially, it’s not something that’s great personally to lose one of the most successful things I ever did, but I totally think it’s the right move.

“I don’t believe in going through and making judgments on every guest star and saying ‘this one was bad, that one was bad,’ but the episode itself has a false purpose, and that’s what I object to about it now.”

Jackson was originally not credited in the episode, but later admitted that it was indeed him behind the performance.