The Culture Club singer, 65, had been due to play King Herod in August as part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera, in which the role is shared by a number of guest performers.
But his withdrawal from the project was announced by his manager Paul Kemsley on Thursday at the London Palladium just days before he was due to begin performances, with his management confirming the decision follows controversy surrounding his recently released pro-Israel song, We Will Dance Again.
The development comes after the release of We Will Dance Again, a song addressing the October 7 Hamas attacks and the war in Gaza, which has prompted criticism online.Â
Kemsley said on Instagram: "After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George's manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium.
"The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production."
Kemsley apologised to those who had bought tickets to see Boy George perform.
He said: "We also recognise that many people purchased tickets in the hope of seeing George perform.
"To those fans, we offer our sincere apologies for the disappointment this decision may cause, and we are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support."
Addressing the singer's recently released song, he added: "George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that.
"Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.
"In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill."
Earlier in 2026, Boy George defended his decision to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest after organisers confirmed Israel would remain in the competition despite calls for the country to be excluded.
Representing San Marino, he said: "I have many, many Jewish friends that I've had since I was 15 or 16 years old.
"Are people asking me as a principled human being to turn my back on my Jewish friends? It's not going to happen, it's never going to happen.
"From the beginning of my career I wore a Jewish star. Go back and look at pictures of Culture Club. I am so affiliated with Jewish people. I am not necessarily affiliated with Israel. I don't really have an opinion on that.
"But the job of music is to unite people."
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