Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith in 1989 (Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)A screening of a new documentary about ex-Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman that was to have taken place in June at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in Sheffield, U.K., has been dropped from the festival lineup.
The BBC reports that the doc, titled The Quiet One, was cut after online complaints regarding Wyman’s controversial relationship during the 1980s with a teenage girl, whom he later married.
The screening was to have included a Q&A with Wyman and the movie’s director, Oliver Murray. According to a Facebook post announcing the cancellation, all purchased tickets will be refunded. A publicist for the Sheffield Doc/Fest tells ABC Radio that organizers have no official comment about the cancellation.
A follow-up message from the organizers reads, “We truly appreciate you alerting us to the issue. It has been passed on to our management who are taking this very seriously.”
Wyman reportedly began a relationship with Mandy Smith when he was in his early 40s and she was just 13 years old. He eventually married her in 1989, when she turned 18. The couple divorced two years later.
The Quiet One offers a profile of Wyman’s entire life, and features unseen footage, personal photos and memorabilia from the 82-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s vast archives.
The movie is scheduled to have its world premiere on May 2 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.