Former Village People star Victor Willis — perhaps best remembered simply as “The Cop” — is threatening to sue FOX executives over suggestions he provided the voiceover for an episode of The Cleveland Show that poked fun at his former band.
The episode, titled “Buried Pleasure,” aired Feb. 14 and featured the animated Village People cop parading around in a pair of booty shorts. The “YMCA” singer insists a press release about the airing falsely claimed he was involved in the show.
“Victor was offended by the episode and says he would never have agreed to do a voiceover for such an offensive portrayal of the Village People police character originally created by him,” Willis’ spokeswoman Linda Smith fumed to WENN on Monday.
“Victor is appalled by the show’s portrayal. He never wore shorts as the original Village People lead singer and cop. So how does Fox justify such an outright false portrayal, while publishing to the world that Victor Willis did the voiceover – and now it’s all over the internet, clearly suggesting to the public that the cop character portrayed in the show is Victor Willis,” Smith added with a huff. “He does not endorse the show or its portrayal. Moreover, he did not do that insulting and effeminate Cleveland Show voiceover.”