Michael Jackson's Name May Be Removed From MTV's Video Vanguard Award

Since HBO's "Leaving Neverland" entered our public consciousness, the fallout has been felt in a multitude of areas. One of the ways that its impacted pop culture is by inspiring MTV to potentially remove Michael Jackson's name from its Video Vanguard Award at the 2019 Video Music Awards (VMAs).

According to Page Six, the controversial documentary, which featured sexual abuse allegations against the late performer from Wade Robson and others, has opened up the debate on whether or not it's appropriate to leave Jackson's name in place on the award.

"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 shared, adding, "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."

Continuing, the source said, "MTV [potentially] banning his name is the latest fallout. They haven't decided yet, but they've been going back and forth on it. There are a lot of issues."

As stated by Complex, MTV has used the award since 1984 to recognize "the accomplishments of legendary artists, directors, and entertainers." However, Jackson's name has been attached to the honor since 1991 due to his contribution to the medium.

Previously, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears have been the recipient of the honor. This particular award differs from all others in that it is not given annually, which gives MTV a bit of time to decide the most suitable course of action moving forward.