Claude! said:
I think it's a sliding scale. At the most extreme end, I'd have a hard time appreciating a painting by Hitler, because Hitler. Not nearly as extreme, but I don't think I can appreciate Cosby's work these days (and I used to love his comedy specials), in part because his crimes are the antithesis of his long-time "America's dad" persona. Had he been arrested for something like tax evasion, I'd have no problem continuing to laugh at his jokes.
On the other end of the spectrum, I think Mark Ruffalo is a knucklehead and a kook, but he's not a criminal, and all actors are knuckleheads and kooks to a certain extent. I can still enjoy his work in the Avengers. I feel the same way about most of the politically outspoken people in the industry - I roll my eyes when Taylor Swift starts talking about politics, but I can enjoy 1989 as one of the greatest pop albums of this century. The exception would be when the politics becomes the person's entire persona, i.e., someone like Kathy Griffin; was never a huge fan of hers, but these days she'd be an instant tune-out.
Michael Jackson lies in the uncomfortable middle of that scale. He was never convicted of anything, but it's a fair bet that he diddled kids. I guess with him I compromise by liking Thriller and Off the Wall, but not really any of his work after he get super weird.
This is pretty much how I feel about it. If I disagree with someone's religion, politics, or general demeanor, that's one thing. If they get exposed as really ****ty people, then I pretty much stop. Kevin Spacey and the singer of Lost Prophets both come immediately to mind.