Did Sonic just get #MeToo’ed?

Despite being uncredited, it’s widely known in Sonic fan circles that Michael Jackson was a contributor to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack. Originally released on the Genesis/Mega Drive in 1994, Jackson was ultimately not fully content with how his contributions turned out, and asked for his name to be stricken from the credits as a result. SEGA obliged.

Now roughly 25 years later, SEGA has decided to remove the game from Steam, Xbox Live, and PSN due to renewed allegations of child abuse against Jackson.

This isn’t the first action to be taken against entertainment produced by Jackson since the release of Leaving Neverland, an HBO-produced documentary that reintroduced accusations of child abuse against Jackson. The Simpsons pulled an episode featuring Jackson from syndication, while some Canadian radio stations (yes, they still have radio stations in Canada) have pulled Michael Jackson’s entire catalogue of music from their playlists as a result of the allegations.

This isn’t the first time that SEGA has chosen to remove a game from sale due to its association with controversial figures, either. Just last month, SEGA Judgment from sale after one of its voice actors came up on drug charges.

SEGA will remove Sonic 3 from digital storefronts tomorrow (Tuesday), giving fans a last chance to purchase it or to download it to their system of choice if they have already purchased it. It is unclear whether SEGA intends to re-release Sonic 3 at a later date with an altered soundtrack. At the moment, the availability of SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive compilations including Sonic 3 do not appear to be affected by this decision.

With all of these accusations being hurled at an accused who is no longer here to face them, this certainly calls into question how we judge the work – and actions – of the dead. We can only imagine how Jackson might have confront these new allegations, but it’s quite likely he would have said, “Hey kid, sleep in my bed! Hee-hee!”

To see SEGA’s full announcement, go here.