MICHAEL JACKSON NEW CHILD MOLESTATION CLAIM By Wade Robson

JERMAINE JACKSON
SHOCKED Over Nephew's
Molestation Claims


Jermaine Jackson couldn't BELIEVE it when he heard his nephew Taj's claims that a family member had molested him as a child -- telling TMZ, "I've never heard that. I've never ever heard that."

As we reported, Taj Jackson -- one of Tito's sons -- made the announcement on Twitter today, claiming an uncle on his mother's side of the family sexually abused him as a child ... and Michael Jackson counseled him through the trauma.

Taj says he made the announcement in an attempt to discredit Wade Robson's abuse allegations against MJ, claiming, "That is how I KNOW Wade is lying. Because I AM a survivor."

Taj added, MJ "was a support system for me and my mom" during the abuse ordeal.

Taj believes Wade is making up stories about MJ in order to score a payday from the Jackson estate.


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WADE ROBSON
I Don't Need MJ Estate
to Prove Molestation in Court

Wade Robson WILL have his day in court in his attempt to prove he was molested by Michael Jackson ... even if he's shut down by the Michael Jackson Estate.

TMZ has learned ... Robson has filed a civil lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court ... and it has nothing to do with his creditor's claim against the Estate. We broke the story ... Robson belatedly filed his creditor's claim, alleging MJ molested him between the ages of 7 and 14.

Robson may get shut down by the probate judge because he waited too long to file his claim. But the civil lawsuit we found will NOT go away that easily.

The allegations in the civil lawsuit are sealed, but TMZ has obtained the face page of the complaint, which shows Robson is suing DOE 1, an individual, DOE 2, a California corporation, and DOE 3, a California corporation. As for who these anonymous DOES are ... TMZ has done some digging, and it's clear. Robson is targeting MJJ Productions -- Michael's record label (owned by Sony) which hired Wade when he was 11 -- and MJJ Ventures ... which produced Michael's music videos.


The two corporations may have been involved in bringing Wade to the U.S. from his home in Australia, and it's clear Wade will argue they had some responsibility for protecting him -- kind of like the relationship between priests who molest and the Catholic Church.

As for the individual DOES (Wade names 50 DOES) ... it's very clear from our research that Robson is targeting the two executors of the MJ Estate -- John Branca and John McClain.

Short story -- even if Wade loses in probate court, he can probably have his day in civil court and put Michael Jackson and allegations of molestation before a jury.

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MJ'S LAWYER
Wade Robson is a
MONEY-GRUBBING LIAR

The lawyer who repped Michael Jackson in the 2005 molestation case is scoffing at Wade Robson's interview on "Today," telling TMZ, "This is a pathetic and an obvious grab for publicity and an attempt to put pressure on the [Michael Jackson] Estate to pay him money."

Tom Mesereau tells us Robson is flat-out lying when he says this is not about money, saying, "Why call yourself a creditor if it's not about money." TMZ broke the story ... Robson has filed a belated creditor's claim with the MJ Estate.

Mesereau says Robson was grilled by the prosecutor in the 2005 criminal case and was unwavering. He says it's simply unbelievable that the truth didn't surface when Robson was on the stand. Mesereau says Robson is an intelligent guy who has volunteered statements in and out of court, defending Michael.

As for the money ... Mesereau tells us, "Everyone knows this Estate is well over a billion dollars and growing."

For the record, it's not at a billion bucks yet, but the Estate has made hundreds of millions of dollars and it will probably hit the billion dollar mark.

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Michael Jackson, Delayed Allegations and Witch Hunts
by JOE VOGEL on MAY 17, 2013

A shorter version of this article is cross-posted at the Huffington Post.

When Michael Jackson died unexpectedly in June of 2009, then-26-year-old choreographer Wade Robson – who has recently made headlines for accusing the pop star of molestation – wrote about his longtime friend and mentor:

Michael Jackson changed the world and, more personally, my life forever. He is the reason I dance, the reason I make music, and one of the main reasons I believe in the pure goodness of humankind. He has been a close friend of mine for 20 years. His music, his movement, his personal words of inspiration and encouragement and his unconditional love will live inside of me forever. I will miss him immeasurably, but I know that he is now at peace and enchanting the heavens with a melody and a moonwalk.

Such a gushing statement came as no surprise to those who knew Robson’s backstory. During Jackson’s Bad World Tour in 1987, five-year-old Robson won a local dance competition in Australia. The reward was attending a backstage meet-and-greet with the King of Pop and the opportunity to join his idol on stage at the end of the concert.

Two years passed before Robson saw Jackson again. This time he was performing at Disneyland when his mother, Joy, decided to reach out to Jackson’s secretary to see if they could meet again. Jackson allowed the Robson family to visit him at the recording studio at Record One where he was working on his Dangerous album. He also invited them to stay at his Neverland Ranch. This hospitality was not unusual for Jackson. Around this same time, Jackson also spent countless hours at his Ranch with AIDS victim, Ryan White, who had been shunned, taunted and bullied at his school in Kokomo, Indiana. “Those trips to California kept me going,” Ryan White said. Similar positive experiences have been shared by hundreds of others.

Not long after their visit to Neverland, the Robson family decided to move to California to allow Wade and his sister, Chantal, more opportunities in the entertainment industry. Over the subsequent years, a friendship blossomed between the Robsons and Jackson. Wade Robson was ambitious and talented, and Jackson took on the role of mentor, teaching him the nuances of his craft and signing him to his MJJ Productions label. Jackson also gave him small parts in his music videos, including “Black or White.”

Robson went on to have a successful career in the industry, choreographing for the likes of Britney Spears and ‘N Sync, and later having his work showcased on shows like So You Think You Can Dance. In 2005, he married Hawaii native Amanda Rodriguez.

That same year, Robson, who had every reason to avoid the circus that was the 2005 Michael Jackson child molestation trial, decided to testify under oath about his experiences with the singer. First questioned by Jackson’s attorney Thomas Mesereau and then under rigorous cross-examination, Robson matter-of-factly gave his account of his time with the artist. Robson repeatedly and adamantly denied being molested or of any other inappropriate sexual activity.

After Jackson was acquitted of all charges a few months later, Wade Robson’s mother Joy spoke of their family’s relief about the verdict. “We were crying and screaming and crying and screaming…We all believed ultimately the truth would come out…I’ve always said to Michael, ‘I wished the world could know the Michael we do.’”

Wade Robson invited Jackson to his wedding later that year, but Jackson decided not to attend because he did not want to turn the joyous occasion into a media circus.

Jackson and Robson, however, remained good friends. Whenever asked, Robson continued to praise Jackson as his biggest inspiration.

They last met in Las Vegas in 2008. Jackson was living there with his three children and Robson was working on a show in the city. “Me, my wife and him and his three kids had a barbecue,” recalled Robson. “It was the most normal thing in the world.”

It had been over twenty years since they first met, and Robson was still, by his own admission, completely unaffected by any past abuse or trauma. His life and career were thriving. He also seemed to have no concerns about Jackson’s own young children.

According to initial reports, Robson’s attorney, Henry Gradstein, claimed the reason his client lied under oath and continued to praise the pop star following his death was because the alleged abuse was a “repressed memory.” Repressed memories — instances in which an individual believes they have blocked or forgotten a traumatic event before “recovering” it years or decades later — has become a highly controversial subject in the field of psychology. According to the American Psychological Association, “experienced clinical psychologists state that the phenomenon of a recovered memory is rare (e.g., one experienced practitioner reported having a recovered memory arise only once in 20 years of practice).” The overwhelming consensus by experts is that such “memories” are not reliable without corroborating evidence. Dr. Richard McNally, Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, describes the phenomenon of belatedly recovered memories as “the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology and psychiatry.”

In his interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, however, Robson claimed that that his memories of abuse were not repressed; he was simply unable to process them emotionally or psychologically. Robson claims that he was fully aware Jackson was a child abuser at the time of his 2005 trial, but decided to lie under oath because he didn’t yet realize what happened to him was wrong. Robson was 22 at the time. But perhaps, one might assume, in the months or years to come he regretted his decision and went to authorities — at least to prevent further “victims.” Nope. Instead, he was barbecuing with MJ and family in 2008, and praising him without any pressure or prompt in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

It goes without saying that accusations of abuse must always be taken seriously. When an individual has told one story very credibly and convincingly as an adult, however, and then suddenly changes it with no corroborating evidence (letters, photos, phone conversations, witnesses, etc.) to file a creditor’s claim, it deserves a healthy dose of skepticism. Believing such claims on faith can be dangerous, destroying lives and reputations with absolutely no proof beyond the accusation.

According to Wade Robson’s attorney, Henry Gradstein, it was sometime in 2012 when the choreographer had a mental breakdown, and “collapsed under the stress” of his recovered memory. Robson’s career had also taken a downturn with the choreographer mysteriously dropping out of many projects. Soon after, Robson decided to file a creditor’s claim against Jackson’s estate. Robson also filed a civil lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, in which he is reportedly targeting companies associated with Jackson. Whatever one makes of his allegations, then, they are not simply to heal. Robson clearly wants a payout.

In a statement, Howard Weitzman, an attorney representing Jackson’s estate, called Robson’s accusations “outrageous and pathetic…This is a young man who has testified at least twice under oath over the past 20 years and said in numerous interviews that Michael Jackson never did anything inappropriate to him or with him. Now, nearly 4 years after Michael has passed this sad and less than credible claim has been made. We are confident that the court will see this for what it is.“

Jackson’s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, feels Robson’s claims are shamelessly motivated by money, given the timing (a high-stakes trial between Jackson’s mother and concert promoter AEG Live, is currently being litigated) and the enormous amount of wealth the Jackson estate has generated since the singer’s death.

Regardless of one’s views of Jackson, Robson’s case raises serious questions about the nature and validity of decade-delayed allegations, especially when attached to money.

Dr. Elizabeth F. Loftus, a renowned cognitive psychologist and human memory expert from the University of Washington, notes that these memories can often be triggered by therapist suggestion. “Some contemporary therapists have been known to tell patients, merely on the basis of a suggestive history or symptom profile, that they definitely had a traumatic experience…Once the ‘diagnosis’ is made, the therapist urges the patient to pursue the recalcitrant memories.”

Wade Robson, then, could very well believe he was abused even if it never happened.

In any case, objectivity and fairness should compel at least some burden of proof. Robson’s own family members have repeatedly defended Jackson over a period of twenty years. Were all of them completely oblivious to what happened until just months ago?

Numerous other individuals who were close to Jackson as children continue to defend him with no apparent incentive for doing so. Since the latest allegations, several people who visited Jackson’s Neverland Ranch as children, have once again spoken out in support of the artist, including Alfonso Ribeiro, Frank Cascio, Brett Barnes, and Jackson’s nephews, Taryll, T.J. and Taj Jackson.

In defense of his uncle, Taj Jackson wrote movingly on Twitter:

I will not sit back and let someone flat out lie about my uncle. PERIOD. I am writing these words knowing that the minute I press send, my life will never be the same afterwards…I was sexually abuse[d]. By an uncle on my mom’s side of the family when I was a kid. My uncle [Michael Jackson] was a support system for me and my mom. He wrote a letter to her that many have seen already, u just didn’t know what it was about. That is how I KNOW Wade is lying. Because I AM a survivor. My hands are still trembling. Don’t forget I was living at Neverland when Wade testified during my uncle’s case. I sat there and ate dinner with him and his family. I will not let them smear my Uncle’s legacy. I don’t want to go on TV. I don’t want publicity, I just want the truth. I hate that Wade made me do this, this way. But since my uncle Michael is no longer here to defend himself. I will.

The letter Taj Jackson referred to was written by Jackson some time in the 1980s. It reads:

Dee Dee Please read this article about child molestation and please read it to Taj, T.J., and Taryll, it brings out how even your own relatives can be molesters of children, or even uncles or aunts molesting nephews or nieces, please read. Love MJ.

Later faced with the public perception that he himself was a child molester, Jackson wrote these lyrics to an unreleased song, called “An Innocent Man”:

If I sail to Acapulco

Or Cancun, Mexico

There the law is waiting

And God knows that I’m innocent

If they won’t take me in Cairo

Then Lord where will I go?

I’ll die a man without a country

And only God knew I was innocent now.

As an eccentric, wealthy man who opened his home to thousands of people, including disadvantaged and ill children, Jackson was an undeniably easy target. But is it conceivable that of the hundreds of children who spent time with him, only a handful were abused? Is it possible that after two unannounced, scouring searches of his homes, in 1993 and again in 2003, resulting in no child pornography or other corroborating evidence, that the artist was nonetheless masterfully hiding criminal behavior?

Or have we, as a society, conflated Jackson’s difference and eccentricity with criminality? In 2005, infotainment pundit Nancy Grace infamously deduced Jackson’s guilt from his strange appearance and childlike sensibility. It was inconceivable to her that a grown man would want to spend so much time with children without wanting to have sex with them.

No doubt, after hearing these latest accusations, some will likewise conclude that “where there is smoke there is fire.”

Jackson, of course, is no longer here to defend himself. The unacknowledged tragedy the fair-minded person must at least consider is this: the life and career of one of the most talented and creative artists of the past century was derailed and ultimately destroyed by allegations, innuendo, sensationalism and speculation, but no concrete evidence and no witnesses or accusers who didn’t want money.

The term “witch hunt” is often used to describe the moral panic and hysteria caused by individuals who threaten our sense of normalcy, order and social assumptions. They must be disciplined or punished to allow people to feel safe, regardless of actual guilt or innocence. So, for example, in the Salem witch trials, women were profiled, accused and sentenced to death for a range of perceived “suspicious” behaviors or traits. Or, historically, African American men have been unfairly targeted and lynched because of myths and culturally-ingrained hysteria about their “predatory” intentions with white women (see D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation).

Over his lifetime (and now in death), Michael Jackson faced more frivolous lawsuits than any individual in American history. During the Thriller era, dozens of women claimed he was the father of their children. As recently as 2010, a woman named Billie Jean filed a $600 million paternity lawsuit against Jackson’s estate.

In 2010, part of Jackson’s FBI file was released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at the request of media, including British journalist Charles Thomson. “A lengthy report,” writes Thomson, “shows that when Jackson’s Neverland Ranch was raided in 2003, the FBI went over every computer seized from the property with a fine tooth comb looking for any incriminating files or internet activity. Jackson’s file contained individual summaries of the FBI’s findings for each of the 16 computers. Scrawled in capital letters across each of those 16 reports – ‘NOTHING’.”

Rolling Stone‘s Matt Taibbi, an incisive cultural critic with no investment whatsoever in Jackson’s legacy, described the 2005 court case against Jackson like this:

Ostensibly a story about bringing a child molester to justice, the Michael Jackson trial would instead be a kind of homecoming parade of insipid American types: grifters, suckers and no-talent schemers, mired in either outright unemployment…or the bogus non-careers of the information age, looking to cash in any way they can. The MC of the proceedings was District Attorney Tom Sneddon, whose metaphorical role in this American reality show was to represent the mean gray heart of the Nixonian Silent Majority – the bitter mediocrity itching to stick it to anyone who’d ever taken a vacation to Paris. The first month or so of the trial featured perhaps the most compromised collection of prosecution witnesses ever assembled in an American criminal case – almost to a man a group of convicted liars, paid gossip hawkers or worse…

In the next six weeks, virtually every piece of his case imploded in open court, and the chief drama of the trial quickly turned into a race to see if the DA could manage to put all of his witnesses on the stand without getting any of them removed from the courthouse in manacles. Sneddon’s hard-on for Jackson was a faith-based vengeance grab every bit as blind and desperate as George Bush’s “case” against Saddam Hussein…

Jackson, of course, was acquitted of all charges in 2005 after two grueling years of investigations, testimony and proceedings. Four years later, in 2009, after years of living as a cultural pariah, a vagabond drifting from country to country, he died at the age of fifty in Los Angeles. The silver lining, one assumed, was that at least his many troubles would end and the focus could return to his rich artistic legacy. But as long as big money is involved, it seems, the relentless stream of grifters will continue.

And in the court of public opinion, the Michael Jackson witch trial goes on.


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MJ'S EX-HOUSEKEEPER
Key Witness in Wade's
Molestation Lawsuit

The Neverland housekeeper who graphically described seeing Wade Robson naked in a shower with Michael Jackson ... will play a huge role in whether Robson wins a cent from MJ's Estate in his new civil lawsuit, TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the case tell us Wade's lawyers are dissecting Blanca Francia's testimony during Jackson's 2005 molestation trial.

During the trial, Francia -- who worked at Neverland in the late '80s -- testified she witnessed Jackson showering naked with a 7 or 8-year-old Wade.

We obtained a transcript of the testimony in which Francia describes seeing Michael's underwear on the floor outside the shower, as well as Wade's child-sized neon green underwear.

She said she couldn't see what Michael was doing exactly because the shower door was fogged up, but said she heard him laughing.

Ultimately, Francia's testimony wasn't enough to sway the jury -- MJ was acquitted -- partly because Wade himself also testified, but insisted Michael never touched him.

TMZ broke the story ... Wade is planning to argue that MJ's companies -- MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures -- had a duty to protect him because they were involved in recruiting him from Australia to work with Michael.

According to sources, Wade wants to use Blanca's testimony to show Michael abused him as a child. We're told Wade's lawyers are also trying to contact her to see if she will cooperate in the new case.

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Wade Robson Reaching Out To The Housekeeper Who Testified That Michael Jackson Abused Him For Help In New Lawsuit!


As more shocking and disturbing details emerge from Wade Robson's claims that he was, in fact, sexually abused by Michael Jackson for seven years during his childhood and adolescence, it appears that the woman who first spoke of his possible molestation at the hands of the pop icon during his 2005 trial will now be detrimental to this most recent civil lawsuit…even though the choreographer claimed she was LYING back then!



As you may recall, Blanca Francia worked as a housekeeper at the Neverland Ranch, where Jackson resided, back in the late 1980s. During the 2005 molestation trial, she testified that she saw Michael showering with Wade back when he was 7 or 8, and although she couldn't see what was happening because of steam from the water, she heard her boss laughing.

Of course, Wade's testimony at the time disputed pretty much all of that, but now, as he builds his case against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures - whom he now argues had a responsibility to keep him safe, as they recruited him as a child to begin with - his lawyers are hard at work dissecting the events Francia described, to see if they match up with his more recent account of events.
Furthermore, they are in the process of getting in touch with her, to see if she'll cooperate in the new case!

And we sincerely hope that she will!
Coming to terms with childhood abuse is such a delicate, unbelievably difficult process, and we sincerely hope that this can be resolved with as little pain and as much compassion as possible.

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From
CHARLES THOMSON

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SUNDAY, 19 MAY 2013
The sworn testimony that will come back to haunt Wade Robson
When you've been covering Michael Jackson for any significant period of time, you come to believe that nothing can shock you anymore. Since I began reporting on Michael Jackson for various media organisations, he has announced the biggest concert residency of all time and then died before he could complete it. A doctor has been jailed for his homicide and a posthumous album has caused international scandal by containing tracks allegedly sung by an imposter.

For many years, Michael Jackson's life (and after-life) has been a quagmire of scandal, controversy and legal wrangling. Presently, entertainment company AEG - which promoted Jackson's 'This Is It' concerts - is on trial over what the singer's family feels is a modicum of responsibility for his death. Already, witnesses have testified that Jackson was banned from the stage during some rehearsals for fear he would injure himself. A producer has testified to weeping as she saw Jackson rambling at rehearsals that God was speaking to him. She told jurors she had warned senior production members she believed he was dying and needed to be transported to hospital, only for her pleas to go ignored. Less than a week later, he was dead.

To a seasoned Jackson correspondent, none of this was surprising. It seems that not a week goes by without some drama or another engulfing the deceased music legend or those closely associated with him, from copyright disputes to kidnap allegations. But last week there was a development in the Michael Jackson sphere which truly did surprise me. Wade Robson, who has staunchly defended Michael Jackson for 20 years and even testified for him in his 2005 trial, filed papers against various organisations connected to the pop legend, seeking multiple pay-outs for alleged childhood abuse.

The choreographer claims he was sexually abused for seven years, from age seven to age 14. The news has rocked the Michael Jackson community. Those who loved him have sprung to his defence while those who built careers on attacking him had reacted with undisguised glee. Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe has labeled the financial demands 'opportunistic' and Jermaine Jackson has branded the choreographer 'full of shit'.

Civil rights lawyer Tom Mesereau, who defended Jackson in his 2005 trial, has suggested the claims are 'suspicious' as their public filing coincided so neatly with the AEG trial. Indeed, the allegations broke as make-up artist Karen Faye testified that she and others had raised repeated concerns about Jackson's health but had received callous responses from those in charge. Robson's televised interview days later ensured little media attention was paid to testimony from an AEG employee that financial papers proved Murray was the company's employee, not Michael Jackson's. Wade Robson has repeatedly worked for AEG and apparently already has future work lined up with the corporation, but his lawyer has denied any connection between the court cases.

In light of Robson's sudden change of tune, I have dusted off my complete trial transcripts from the 2005 government prosecution of Michael Jackson. While many news reports have mentioned that Robson testified for Jackson in the case, few have made any particular effort to underscore the gravity of his testimony.

Wade Robson was such a compelling and assured witness that Michael Jackson chose him to open his defence case at trial. Under sustained and sometimes aggressive questioning by government prosecutor Ron Zonen, Robson not only denied any impropriety on Jackson's part, but did so repeatedly, vigorously and convincingly - even mocking prosecutors and describing the mere suggestion of sexual abuse at Jackson's hands as 'ridiculous'.

As a side-note, the idea that in a trial about alleged child sex abuse, a genuine abuser would choose somebody they had molested for seven years as their first witness to undergo unrelenting government cross-examination may seem somewhat far-fetched to the casual onlooker.

When viewed alongside some of the comments he made on the Today Show this week, Robson's testimony is likely to cast more than a reasonable doubt over his new claims. He answered clearly and competently to detailed questions about various examples of alleged misconduct. The testimony is so immensely damaging to his new legal demands for money that he and his lawyer have already floated two potential, but arguably equally unconvincing, explanations for the bizarre u-turn.

When the story about his demands for money went live last week, Robson's lawyer was quoted as saying the choreographer had recovered 'repressed memories', a story many suggested could have been designed to explain away Robson's strenuous denials in the 2005 trial without admitting to perjury. However, Robson's claim was met with such incredulity - many eminent psychologists do not even believe in repressed memories and even those who do took rather a dim view of Robson's somewhat extreme story - that he has since changed tact.

Robson claimed in his TV interview this week that the real reason he told jurors he was not molested was that he had not realised that what Jackson allegedly did to him was abusive - another claim guaranteed to raise many an eyebrow. He was a successful, professional 22-year-old man at the time of his testimony.

Under oath in 2005, Robson was asked repeatedly about particular acts and whether he knew Michael Jackson to have performed them upon any child. He responded vehemently that not only had he never witnessed any such behaviour, but he was steadfast in his opinion that Michael Jackson would never have engaged in it.

Looking back over the 2005 court documents, the latest explanation for his testimony simply does not stand up to scrutiny. For instance, he was asked specifically whether Jackson had touched his body. Regardless of whether he believed Jackson's conduct to constitute sexual abuse, if Jackson had indeed touched his body, the clear answer would have been 'yes'. But it wasn't 'yes'. It was 'no'. Over, and over, and over again.

He even testified that after what he now claims were several years of sexual abuse at Jackson's hands, he returned to the scene of the alleged crimes more than 20 times in later life, with friends and relatives in tow, for relaxing getaways. He also testified to remaining in touch with Jackson and still considering him a close friend. Indeed, several years after the trial, Robson continued to socialise with Jackson.

Shortly after Jackson's death was announced in 2009, Robson wrote that Jackson was 'one of the main reasons I believe in the pure goodness of humankind'. According to Jackson's brother Jermaine, Robson and his mother helped him pen portions of his autobiography about the media's unfair portrayal of his brother as a child molester. Indeed, since Jackson's death Robson has paid public tribute to the star repeatedly, as recently as 2012. He even applied last year for a job choreographing a tribute show to his alleged molester, but did not get the gig.

Wade Robson has filed a creditor's claim against Jackson's Estate, seeking a cash pay-out for alleged childhood abuse. He has also filed a civil lawsuit against various Jackson-affiliated companies, seeking further financial compensation for his alleged abuse.

He insisted this week that his new claims were 'not about money'.

The full transcript of Robson's testimony on May 5, 2005, totals almost 14,000 words and runs across 60 pages of A4. It includes lots of repetition and discussion about where he lived, when his parents separated and various other tangential asides. Below, I have extracted what I believe to be the key testimony. It is difficult to see how, given the existence of this sworn testimony, Robson could ever convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Jackson had ever acted inappropriately in his presence.

A cynical person might therefore interpret Robson's high profile TV interview this week as an attempt to avoid ever getting into a courtroom and having a jury test his new claims. How many more high profile public attacks can Jackson's Estate suffer before it is forced to begin considering a settlement? At this stage, the ability to damage the Estate's earning potential is about all Robson has got on his side - because the evidence is firmly on Michael Jackson's.

Here is the testimony nobody else in the media is showing you. See for yourself.


Under direct examination by Michael Jackson's lawyer, Tom Mesereau:

Q. Do you consider Michael Jackson your friend?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you consider him a close friend?

A. Yes.

Q. You’re aware of the allegations in this case, are you not?

A. Yes.

Q. And are you aware, as you sit here today, that there’s been allegations that Mr. Jackson molested you?

A. Yes.

Q. Mr. Robson, did Michael Jackson ever molest you at any time?

A. Absolutely not.

Q. Mr. Robson, did Michael Jackson ever touch you in a sexual way?

A. Never, no.

Q. Mr. Robson, has Mr. Jackson ever inappropriately touched any part of your body at any time?

A. No.

* * * * *

Q. How many times do you think you’ve stayed in Mr. Jackson’s room at Neverland?

A. Same amount of times as I’ve been there. Well, no, that’s not true, I’m sorry. I’ve been there a bunch of times without Michael, just with other friends and family traveling there. But, I don’t know, maybe 15 to 20.

Q. And at no time has any sexual contact ever occurred between you and Mr. Jackson, right?

A. Never.

Q. Have you ever taken a shower with Mr. Jackson?

A. No.

Q. Have you ever gone swimming with Mr. Jackson?

A. Yes.

Q. And please explain what you mean.

A. One time with my sister and I, my sister and I and Michael, we went in the Jacuzzi at Neverland Ranch.

Q. And do you know approximately when that was?

A. I don’t. I can’t say for sure. I have a feeling that it was within that first trip in ‘89 when I went there.

Q. Do you recall what Mr. Jackson was wearing in the Jacuzzi?

A. From my recollection, he was wearing shorts. You know, like swimming shorts. And that was it.

Q. Did anything inappropriate ever happen in that Jacuzzi?

A. No.

Q. Has anything inappropriate ever happened in any shower with you and Mr. Jackson?

A. No. Never been in a shower with him.

* * * * *

Q. Mr. Robson, has anyone told you what to say in this courtroom today?

A. No.

Q. Is everything you’ve said the complete and honest truth?

A. Yes.

Q. Did Mr. Jackson ever do anything wrong with you?

A. No.


Under cross-examination by government prosecutor Ron Zonen:

Q. All right. Now, the first time that you slept with Mr. Jackson you were seven years old; is that correct?

A. I slept in the same bed with him. But, yes, I was seven.

Q. Did you understand my question to mean something other than that?

A. Sounded like it.

* * * * *

Q. Were there periods of time when you were at Neverland and working with Mr. Jackson on dance routines?

A. No. I mean, we would mess around and dance a little bit in the studio every now and then, yes.

Q. Was there ever an occasion where you were on the dance floor with Mr. Jackson and he was showing you a routine and he grabbed your crotch in a manner similar to how he would grab his own crotch while doing those performances?

A. No, that’s not true.

Q. You have no recollection of that?

A. No.

Q. That didn’t happen?

A. No.

* * * * *

Q. Now, at any time did you start to develop conversations with your mother about the propriety of sleeping with this man who’s now well into his 30s?

A. No.

Q. Did you consider it unusual at all?

A. No.

Q. Did your mother consider it unusual?

A. No.

Q. Did you ever talk to your father about it?

A. Yeah.

Q. You talked to your father about your sleeping with Michael Jackson?

A. No, I mean, you know, everybody knew, and nobody ever said that it was -- we never talked about it being unusual or anything like that.

Q. Did your mother ever ask you if anything inappropriate happened in bed with him?

A. No.

Q. Did she simply assume nothing happened?

A. Yes.

Q. You’re telling us nothing happened; is that right?

A. Yes.

Q. All right. What you’re really telling us is nothing happened while you were awake; isn’t that true?

A. I’m telling you that nothing ever happened.

Q. Mr. Robson, when you were asleep, you wouldn’t have known what had happened, particularly at age seven, would you have?

A. I would think something like that would wake me up.

* * * * *

Q. Was there, in fact, a shower at Neverland in the suite, the bedroom suite?

A. Yes.

Q. But you didn’t use it?

A. I used it by myself.

Q. Was he in the room while you were using it?

A. In the bedroom, not in the shower room, which had its own door.

* * * * *

Q. You haven’t gone back to Neverland since you were 13?

A. I have. Not with him.

Q. Have you gone back to Neverland since you were 13 and actually stayed overnight?

A. Yes.

Q. On how many occasions since you were 13?

A. A lot. Same thing. 20, 25. Something like that.

* * * * *

Q. Mr. Jackson would periodically kiss you, would he not?

A. No.

Q. Periodically hug you?

A. Yes.

Q. Touch you?

A. Hug me. That would be --

Q. Put his hands through your hair?

A. No.

Q. Touch you about the head and the face?

A. Yeah.

Q. Did he ever kiss you on the cheek?

A. Yeah.

Q. Did he ever kiss you on the lips?

A. No.

* * * * *

Q. Were there occasions that Mr. Jackson would summon you to Neverland Ranch?

A. Summon me?

Q. Yes. Call you up and ask you to come and be there; invite you to Neverland Ranch?

A. Invite us, yeah.

* * * * *

Q. On the occasions that you stayed in bed with Mr. Jackson, would you ever cuddle in bed?

A. No.

Q. Would you lie next to one another?

A. No.

Q. Would you touch?

A. No.

Q. Would you consider it to have been inappropriate to have cuddled in bed?

A. Sorry?

Q. Would you have considered it to be inappropriate to have cuddled in bed?

A. No.


Under re-direct by Tom Mesereau:

Q. Okay. The prosecutor asked you questions about whether or not you were considered family. Did you consider yourself to be part of Mr. Jackson’s family?

A. Yeah, I mean, in a friendship sort of way. Because we were that close. It was like family.

Q. And did you use the word “family” once in a while --

A. Yes.

Q. -- when you spoke to him?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you hear your mother or sister using the word “family”?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you think anything was strange about that?

A. No.

Q. The prosecutor for the government asked about Mr. Jackson giving you a kiss on the cheek.

A. Uh-huh.

Q. And you said that happened sometimes?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you think there was anything inappropriate about that?

A. No.

Q. Did you do it in front of your mom?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you do it in front of your sister?

A. Yes.

Q. Did your mother kiss him on the cheek?

A. Yes.

Q. Did your sister kiss him on the cheek?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you kiss Mr. Jackson on the cheek?

A. Yes.

Q. Did your mother used to hug Mr. Jackson?

A. Yes.

Q. Did Mr. Jackson used to hug your mother?

MR. ZONEN: I’ll object as irrelevant what happened with his mother.

THE COURT: Overruled. Go ahead.

Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Mr. Jackson used to hug your mother?

A. Yes.

Q. Did your sister used to hug Mr. Jackson?

MR. ZONEN: I’ll object as leading as well.

THE COURT: Overruled.

Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did your sister used to hug Mr. Jackson?

A. Yes.

Q. And would you see Mr. Jackson hug your sister?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you ever think there was anything inappropriate about Mr. Jackson hugging any member of your family?

A. No.

Q. Did you ever think it was inappropriate to see any member of your family hug Mr. Jackson?

A. No.

Q. Now, you said your sister would sometimes stay in Mr. Jackson’s room, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. And how often do you recall that happening?

A. I remember it just within that first trip we were there. So it was -- it was, you know, three or four nights or something like that.

Q. And you mentioned Brandy. Is that who you mentioned?

A. Yes.

Q. Who was Brandy again?

A. She was Michael Jackson’s niece.

Q. You saw Brandy staying in his room?

A. Yeah.

Q. What’s the largest number of kids you ever saw stay in Mr. Jackson’s room, if you remember?

A. Yeah, probably four to five.

Q. And what do you recall the children doing in his room?

A. Well, before we went to sleep, same sort of things. We’d play video games, watch movies. Have pillow fights. You know, yeah.

Q. Did you ever see anything of a sexual nature between Mr. Jackson and any of those children?

A. Never.

* * * * *

Q. Have you seen Mr. Jackson hug other children at Neverland?

A. Yes.

Q. Have you seen other children hug Mr. Jackson at Neverland?

A. Yes.

Q. Have you ever thought any of this was inappropriate?

A. No.

Q. Have you seen Mr. Jackson kiss children at Neverland?

A. On the cheek, yes. Or on the head, or on the top of the head, something like that.

Q. Ever seen kids kiss Mr. Jackson?

A. Yes.

Q. Any of that ever look inappropriate to you?

A. No.

Q. Have you seen lots of children visit Neverland on occasion?

A. Yes.

Q. And what do you mean?

A. I think we were there once when he had one of his gatherings, like a Heal the World Foundation thing where he had a bunch of kids come up there and -- you know, and have the day there.

Q. And how many kids are you talking about, do you think?

A. Probably about 100 or 50. 75 to 100, something like that.

Q. Were there adults with those children?

A. Yes.

Q. And you said, “Heal the World.” What did that mean to you?

MR. ZONEN: I’m going to object as exceeding the scope of the direct examination, and irrelevant, and beyond the scope of his knowledge.

THE COURT: Overruled. You may answer.

THE WITNESS: Could you repeat the question?

Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Yeah. What was “Heal the World,” as far as you remember?

A. As far as I knew, it was a foundation or a charity that Michael had created that, you know, raised money for kids with illnesses. I don’t know exactly what kind, but --

Q. Did you interact with any of these kids that visited that day?

A. I may have, yeah, I mean, waved at them or met a couple of them or something like that.

Q. Did you see Mr. Jackson hugging other children?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you see them hugging him?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you see Mr. Jackson kiss children?

A. Yeah.

Q. Have you seen them kiss him?

A. Yes.

Q. Ever seen anything inappropriate?

A. No.

Q. Did you see Mr. Jackson hug adults who were with those children?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you see adults hug Mr. Jackson who were with those children?

A. Yes.

Q. Ever think any of that was inappropriate?

A. No.

Q. Now, the prosecutor for the government asked you questions about whether he touched your hair.

A. Uh-huh.

Q. Do you recall Mr. Jackson ever touching your hair?

A. I can’t recall an exact thing, but it seems like something he might have done at some point.

Q. Do you ever recall Mr. Jackson doing anything inappropriate with your hair?

A. No.

Q. Ever seen Mr. Jackson touch another child on the head?

A. Yes.

Q. Have you seen that many times?

A. Many times.

Q. Did it ever seem like anything inappropriate was going on when you saw that?

A. No.

* * * * *

Q. Ever see Michael throw water balloons at kids?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you ever see Michael in golf carts with kids?

A. Yes.

Q. When you used to play at Neverland during the day, would Michael often be with you?

A. Yes.

Q. And what would Michael do with you?

A. We’d go on rides together, you know, where we’d drive around in the golf cart together, look at animals together, watch movies together.

Q. Did you see Mr. Jackson act in a similar way with other children?

A. Yes.

Q. Ever see anything inappropriate go on when he was doing any of these things?

A. No.

Q. Now, how often do you recall your mother going to Neverland with you?

A. It’s been every time except for that one time that I spoke of when I was there with Jordie Chandler and Macaulay and I.

Q. What do you recall seeing your mother do at Neverland?

A. A lot of the same things with us.

Q. Would she sometimes be with Mr. Jackson when all the kids were playing?

A. Oh, yes. She was playing along with us.

Q. Now, you mentioned visiting an apartment in Century City with Mr. Jackson, right?

A. Yes.

Q. And what do you recall doing in the apartment with Mr. Jackson?

A. Same sort of things. He had arcade games there. You know, candy. We’d eat, we’d watch, you know, T.V. shows, Stooges. Hang around, play games, you know.

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Jackson do anything inappropriate with any child at that apartment?

A. No.

Q. Where else have you been with Mr. Jackson?

A. Like I said, we covered Las Vegas. Westwood apartment, Century City apartment. Sheraton Hotel. He came and stayed at my place once.

Q. Where was that?

A. That was in Hollywood. It was -- my mother and I had a condo, and my sister.

Q. Did you see Mr. Jackson do anything inappropriate at any of these locations?

A. No.

Q. Ever seen Mr. Jackson touch any child in a sexual way at any of these locations?

A. Never.

Q. Did Mr. Jackson ever touch you inappropriately in any of these locations?

A. No.

Q. Now, have you been following media reporting in this case?

A. Yeah. On and off.

Q. You’re aware of allegations that were made that Mr. Jackson --

MR. ZONEN: I’m going to object as leading and exceeding the scope of the direct -- cross.

THE COURT: I don’t know what the question is yet.

Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Okay. You’ve been following these reports that somehow Mr. Jackson was seen inappropriately touching you?

A. Yes.

Q. What do you think of them?

A. I think it’s --

MR. ZONEN: I’ll object. I’ll withdraw the objection.

THE WITNESS: I think it’s ridiculous.

MR. MESEREAU: No further questions.



Under re-cross by Ron Zonen:

[NB: Prosecutors showed Wade Robson seven books found among tens of thousands of books at Jackson's home, which included a large library. Some of the art books, featuring work by respected photographers, depicted children, occasionally nude. Others featured adult men in 'homo-erotic' poses. Some were found bubble-wrapped and unread. Others featured inscriptions, showing they had been mailed to him by fans. Also found at Jackson's home were thousands of adult, heterosexual pornographic magazines.]

Q. Okay. You can go ahead and close that one right now. Mr. Robson, are you concerned about a man possessing these seven books being in bed with a 12-year-old boy?

A. If it was a man I didn’t know, maybe. But not Michael.

Q. Is that because you view Mr. Jackson as being, for the most part, asexual?

A. No.

Q. Because you believe that he doesn’t really have a sexual interest?

A. I believe that he has a sexual interest in women.

Q. Did you know that he possessed these magazines?

MR. MESEREAU: Objection, Your Honor, he didn’t let the witness complete his answer.

THE COURT: Sustained.

MR. MESEREAU: Could the witness complete his answer, Your Honor?

THE COURT: Yes.

THE WITNESS: I believe that he has a sexual interest in women.

Q. BY MR. ZONEN: In women?

A. Yes.

Q. These books don’t suggest otherwise?

A. Not necessarily.

* * * * *

Q. The collective material that you have just been shown does not cause you a moment of pause when you think about the prospect of this person who possesses all of this crawling into bed with a ten-year-old boy?

A. No.

Q. And you would allow a child to crawl into bed with such a person?

A. If I knew the person, yes.

Q. If you knew them?

A. Yes.

Q. Your own child, you’d have no problem sleeping with a 35-, 40-year-old man?

A. If I knew the person well, no.

MR. ZONEN: No further questions.


Under re-direct by Tom Mesereau:

Q. Mr. Robson?

A. Yes.

Q. That’s your fiancee right there, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You are heterosexual, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You are a close friend of Michael, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. By the way, did Michael Jackson ever -- oh, I’ll ask from there. When you were a young child, did Michael Jackson ever show you any sexually explicit material?

A. No.

Q. Did you ever see Michael Jackson show sexually explicit material to any child?

A. No.

* * * * *

Q. Okay. And let me show you again Exhibit No. 842, “A boy; A Photographic Essay,” okay? And that’s the one with the inscription, “To Michael, from your loving fan, Rhonda,” okay?

A. Yes.

Q. And have you had a chance to flip through that book?

A. Yes.

Q. In fact, you see young children with rather innocent photographs of young boys, correct?

MR. ZONEN: I’m going to object as leading, Your Honor.

THE COURT: Overruled.

Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Innocent photographs of young boys in various situations, right?

A. Yes.

Q. Okay. You see a young boy hanging from a tree, right?

A. Yes.

Q. You see a young boy sitting outside a door, right?

A. Yes.

Q. See young boys on a beach, right?

A. Yes.

Q. Okay. Now, let’s go to -- quickly, to the material the prosecutor for the government showed you, okay? He showed you some magazines with heterosexual activity, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. Okay. Have you seen one book that depicts child pornography in that group?

A. No.

MR. ZONEN: I believe there was a Court restriction on the use of that word, Your Honor, one initiated by the defense. Unless that reservation is finished.

MR. MESEREAU: He’s correct. And I made a mistake using the word. I’ll withdraw it, and I apologize.

THE COURT: All right. The problem is that sometimes it’s an appropriate word to use and sometimes it’s not. But the jury’s been instructed on it. And so if you want to rephrase it, that’s fine.

MR. MESEREAU: Okay.

Q. In those books that the prosecutor for the government showed you, you see books about men, right?

15 A. Yes.

Q. You see one book that says, “A Study of Male Sexuality” and shows some sexual acts between men, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. And he showed you a number of magazines involving sexual activity between men and women, correct?

A. Yes.

Q. Okay. Has he shown you one book involving children having sex?

A. No.

Q. Has he shown you one book where a man is having sex with a child?

A. No.

Q. The prosecutor tried to suggest that Mr. Jackson is asexual. Do you remember that question?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you believe he’s asexual?

A. No.

Q. Have you seen Mr. Jackson with women in your lifetime?

A. With what kind of woman? A woman that he’s in a relationship with?

Q. That he’s been married to.

A. Yeah, with Lisa Marie.

Q. When you were at Neverland, did you ever see anything that suggested pedophilia?

A. No.

Q. Ever see any magazine or poster that suggested pedophilia?

A. Never.

* * * * *

Q. Has anything this prosecutor for the government has said to you changed your opinion of Michael Jackson?

A. Not at all.

Q. Does it change your opinion as to whether or not he ever did anything inappropriate with a child?

A. Not at all.

MR. MESEREAU: No further questions.

MR. ZONEN: I have no questions.

THE COURT: Thank you. You may step down



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Maid who claims she saw Michael Jackson shower with Wade Robson when he was EIGHT 'asked to testify at choreographer's new lawsuit'

Choreographer Wade Robson has approached Michael Jackson's former housekeeper, who claims she witnessed the star showering with him as an eight-year-old boy, to testify at his abuse civil lawsuit, according to reports.
Lawyers for the Australian, whose family was helped to move to America by Jackson when he was a dancer at age five, are approaching Blanca Francia to appear as a witness, according to TMZ.
Robson, 30, claims he was abused by Jackson for seven years and that the King of Pop told him he'd go to jail for the rest of his life if he told anyone about it.


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He has now launched a civil lawsuit against the pop star's estate.
It is a change of tune for Robson who took to the stand as the first defense witness at a trial in 2005, where Jackson was accused of molesting 13-year-old cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo.
It was the same court case where Francia spoke out about seeing a young Robson in the shower with the singer.
'I walked in and they were in the shower,' Ms Francia told the court, according to a report from the time.
'When I saw it I saw clothes on the floor by the shower...underwear,' she said, adding that she recognized Jackson's and Robson's underclothes.
According to TMZ in the maid's full written testimony she said she couldn't see what was happening in the shower but could hear Jackson laughing.
Ms Francia's own son spoke at the court case in which Jackson was cleared of all 14 counts.
Robson is planning to argue that Michael Jackson's companies -- MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures -- had a duty to protect him.


However, his claims have been ridiculed by those close to the now deceased pop star.
Debbie Rowe, 54, the ex-wife and mother of two of Jackson's children, criticized Robson on Thursday.
She called the choreographer 'opportunistic' and said he was seeking publicity.
She told TMZ on Thursday: 'It will be quickly forgotten, and will do nothing, nothing to tarnish Michael's extraordinary legacy.'
Jackson's estate has called the claims 'outrageous and pathetic' while Jermaine Jackson has said that Robson is 'full of s***'.

But Robson has been making his case too.
He appeared on the Today program this week for a lengthy interview on why he is coming forward now and to outline his claims.
He says from the age of seven to around 14, Jackson 'performed sexual acts on me and forced me to perform sexual acts on him'.
Robson told Today Jackson convinced him that 'both of us would go to jail for the rest of our lives' if he told anyone about what they had done together.
During the Arvizo case he adamantly denied that he had ever been molested or inappropriately touched by the singer.


Robson, now a top music choreographer who has worked with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, said he hadn't yet come to terms with what had happened to him.
'I said what I understood and I said what I was able to say,' he explained. 'From seven years old, from day one of the abuse, Michael told me that we loved each other and this was love, this was an expression of our love. And then he would follow it up with 'but if you ever tell anyone what we are doing both of our lives and careers would be over'.'
'This is not a case of repressed memory. I have never forgotten one moment of what Michael did to me, but I was psychologically and emotionally completely unable and unwilling to understand that it was sexual abuse.'
He said having his own child two years ago made him face up to the truth, as he said he couldn't help thinking about how he'd feel if a stranger molested his little boy.
'I'm a father and I became a father two and a half years ago to this beautiful baby boy and during the first 18 months of his life I collapsed into two nervous breakdowns, terrifying nervous breakdowns,' he said.
'At that point, I had no idea what was going on. And for the first time in my life, I began to realize that my completely numb and unexplored feelings about what Michael did to me might be a problem and maybe I need to speak to somebody about it.'
He has asked a probate court to allow him to file a late creditor's claim against Jackson's estate, even though the deadline has passed for creditors to file such claims.
The estate's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, has dismissed Robson's claims.
In a statement Weitzman said: 'This is a young man who has testified at least twice under oath over the past 20 years and said in numerous interviews that Michael Jackson never did anything inappropriate to him or with him.
'Now, nearly four years after Michael has passed, this sad and less-than-credible claim has been made.'.
Robson said the ordeal of launching such a public case was too great for it to be about money.

'The idea that I would make all of this up and put myself, my wife, my son, my entire family through this extremely stressful and painful experience all for money is incomprehensible,' he said.
'I've lived in silence and denial for 22 years and I can't spend another moment in that... I'm never going to go away with this for the sake of money. I'm never going to be silenced for money. That's not going to happen.'
Robson's lawsuit comes as the high profile trial of Michael Jackson's tour promoter, AEG, continues.
The trial is brought by the singer's mother and children who claim AEG shares blame in his death for neglecting to vet and supervise Jackson's doctor, Dr Conrad Murray.

CHANGE OF TUNE: WHAT WADE ROBSON SAID ABOUT ALLEGED MOLESTATION IN MICHAEL JACKSON'S 2005 TRIAL AND NOW
THEN
Wade Robson, who was then 22, testified in the Santa Maria courtroom that he was five when he met Jackson for the first time in his hometown, Brisbane, Australia.
Two years later, he was a guest at Jackson's Neverland ranch for the first of some 20-plus overnight visits. He told jurors he shared a bed with Jackson on numerous occasions from the ages of seven to 14, at Neverland, as well as apartments in Los Angeles and at hotels in Las Vegas and LA.
When asked by Jackson's lead lawyer, Thomas A. Mesereau Jr., whether he'd ever been molested by the singer Robson replied: 'Absolutely not,' before also denying strongly that Jackson had ever touched him in a sexually explicit way.
When senior deputy district attorney, Ronald J. Zonen, questioned Robson's account, he replied: 'I'm telling you, nothing ever happened.'
Zonen then said, according to a New York Times article at the time: 'You're saying nothing ever happened when you were awake,' to which Robson responded: 'I think something like that would wake me up.'
However, a former maid at Neverland who testified at the trial as a witness for the prosecution, said she had seen Jackson groping Robson in the shower at the ranch. But Robson denied ever having a shower with the star.
NOW
But now Robson is claiming Michael Jackson did in fact molest him, over a period of seven years.
In an interview with Today, Robson, now 30, labelled Jackson 'a pedophile and a child sexual abuser' who from the ages of seven to around 14 'performed sexual acts on me and forced me to perform sexual acts on him.'
He said that Jackson told him the alleged abuse was 'an expression of our love.'
Robson added, explaining why he gave what he claims now was a false testimony: 'This is not a case of repressed memory. I have never forgotten one moment of what Michael did to me, but I was psychologically and emotionally completely unable and unwilling to understand that it was sexual abuse.'
But he said he was never offered money to deny the abuse during the trial.
'There was no money, there was no "you must lie." Michael, when he would talk to me before these things were going on, and he would call me everyday... it was complete manipulation and brainwashing. It wasn't any sense of the truth on the phone, he would role play with me and train me for these scenarios.'


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Michael Jackson's former maid says King of Pop threatened her life if she ever snitched, told her: ‘What happens at Neverland, stays in Neverland'


Michael Jackson's former maid says King of Pop threatened her life if she ever snitched, told her: ‘What happens at Neverland, stays in Neverland'
Adrian McManus tells Inside Edition, Jackson 'groomed the little boys…I think he was getting them drunk.'


Michael Jackson’s former maid is airing her biggest load of dirty laundry yet.
The King of Pop’s one-time house-keeper, Adrian McManus, told Inside Edition that not only does she believe her boss committed child molestation — Jackson also pointedly threatened her life if she ever snitched.

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“If you ever go on a talk show, or a TV show, we can hire a hit man and have your neck slit,” McManus told the television news magazine. “They’ll never find your body. We can hire a sniper to take you out.”
McManus, who worked for Jackson in the ‘90s and testified against her boss in his 2005 trial on charges he plied a teenager with alcohol and then sexually molested him, apparently got over that fear in the interview that aired Friday. Jackson was ultimately found not guilty, but not in he eyes of McManus.


“He groomed the little boys…I think he was getting them drunk,” she told Inside Edition.
“He told me, ‘What happens at Neverland, stays in Neverland.’”


The new interview comes less than a month after McManus told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper that workers twice found Jackson near death from drug overdoses during her tenure at Neverland.

“Michael was not a pop hero, but a messed-up, depraved junkie, who was manipulative, twisted and demonic,” she said in that sitdown interview.
Jackson died at the age of 50 from an overdose of Propofol, administered by his personal doctor Conrad Murray to cure the music icon’s insomnia, in 2009. Murray is in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter two years later.
McManus’ tell-all tour comes amid a new round of child molestation claims from choreographer Wade Robson, who claims Jackson abused him during his childhood and has filed a lawsuit against the singer’s estate.

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5/23/2013 12:50 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
JOE JACKSON
Wade Robson's Getting
PAID TO LIE

Wade Robson is getting paid big money to destroy Michael Jackson's reputation with child abuse allegations ... so says MJ's dad Joe Jackson.

Joe was at the airport in L.A. Wednesday when we asked about Wade's claims against the MJ estate -- that the singer sexually abused him as a child for years -- but Joe doesn't buy Wade's story for a second ... and he's not placing the blame entirely on Wade's shoulders either.

Joe's got his own conspiracy theory about who's REALLY behind Wade's allegations ... and whoever it is has a massive wallet.

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Wade Robson demands Joe shut his mouth or else


Wade Robson is going after another Jackson family member -- this time threatening legal action against Joe Jackson if he continues to spread vicious lies ... this according to legal docs.

Wade's lawyers fired off a cease and desist letter to Papa Jackson on May 25, accusing him of slander and warning JJ to stop dragging Wade's name through the mud.

The letter cites a video TMZ posted​ ... in which Joe tells our photog Wade is being PAID to lie about the whole "Michael Jackson molested me" thing ... as part of some giant conspiracy.


Wade's lawyers unload on Joe for the accusation, writing, "Your statement is particularly reprehensible in light of the fact that [Wade] has only recently been able to come forward which is so typically characteristic and tragic for so many survivors of sexual abuse."

It continues, "Any trier of fact would conclude your statement was malicious, intended to further injure our client."

Then come the threats ... Wade's lawyers say they will not hesitate to "take any and all appropriate legal measures to vehemently protect the truth and commence legal action."

MJ ESTATE
Wade Robson Is
FULL OF IT!

Lawyers for the Michael Jackson Estate are scoffing at Wade Robson's creditor's claim ... saying it's absurd he had no idea for nearly 4 YEARS that the Estate was being probated and there was a deadline for filing claims.

Attorney Howard Weitzman wrote incredulously ... the MJ probate is one of the most high-profile ever, and Wade is very connected in the music biz. So, Weitzman asks, how could it be he had no idea there was a deadline of 4 months after the Estate proceedings began to file a creditor's claim?

TMZ broke the story ... Robson has filed the claim, alleging MJ molested him for 7 years -- between the ages of 7 and 14.

Weitzman is asking the judge to reject Robson's claim on grounds it was filed ridiculously late.

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Judge says he's inclined to unseal portions of molestation claim against Michael Jackson

LOS ANGELES —A judge said Thursday he was inclined to unseal portions of a choreographer's court filings alleging he was abused by Michael Jackson. However, personal details and psychiatrist reports would likely not be released.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said he needed to address which records should remain sealed before he can deal with whether Wade Robson, a choreographer and television personality, can pursue his claim.

Robson requested on May 1 that Beckloff allow him to file a late creditor's claim against Jackson's estate nearly eight years to the day after he testified in Jackson's defense at the singer's molestation trial.
Jackson was acquitted after Robson told jurors the entertainer never touched him inappropriately. Henry Gradstein, an attorney for Robson, said a breakdown last year prompted Robson to address the abuse.

Howard Weitzman, an attorney for Jackson's estate and Thomas Messereau, the lawyer who successfully defended Jackson, have attacked Robson's credibility and noted his repeated defense of the singer.

Weitzman has called the accusations "outrageous and pathetic."

"We are confident that the court will see this for what it is" he said at the time the allegations were first made.

On Thursday, Beckloff presented attorneys with possible redactions of Robson's sworn declaration and said it should serve as a roadmap for what information can be made public.

The judge believes some of the material could be made public, even though attorneys on both sides would like the case sealed in its entirety. Some of Robson's private and personal information, including a paragraph that detailed his allegations of abuse by Jackson, should be sealed, Beckloff said. He also said portions of the records that deal with mental health issues also should not be released. "There aren't a lot of redactions," Beckloff said of his suggestions. Attorneys for Robson and Jackson's estate will review the suggestions by the judge and report back at a hearing on June 25, the fourth anniversary of Jackson's death. Beckoff, who is overseeing the probate case involving Jackson's massive estate, said he will also handle a separate lawsuit filed by Robson against Jackson and two other defendants listed as "Doe 2" and "Doe 3" that includes allegations of abuse by the entertainer. That lawsuit also remains sealed. Robson, 30, has worked with Britney Spears and numerous other stars. He was 22 at the time he testified, telling jurors in Jackson's criminal case that he met the pop star when he was 5 and spent the night at Jackson's Neverland Ranch more than 20 times, sleeping in the singer's bedroom on most visits. During the trial, Robson bristled at testimony by other witnesses that they had seen Jackson molest him. "I'm very mad about it," he told jurors. "It's not true and they put my name through the dirt."

Gradstein previously issued a statement saying, "Last year, on a career trajectory that was off the charts, (Robson) collapsed under the stress and sexual trauma of what had happened to him for seven years as a child


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MJ Had Sex With Me On The SECOND Night I Stayed At Neverland — When I Was Just 7: Wade Robson Tells His Story Of Abuse

Michael Jackson allegedly made his move on Wade Robson when he was just seven years of age — as his sister slept in another bed just feet away at Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, California.

Robson, now 30, has told how the King of Pop made his first sexual advances on the young child prodigy in the star’s bedroom in 1990, as the Australia-born dancer’s older sister Chantal slept in the same room and often with his mother under the same roof.

The abuse allegedly continued unabated for another two weeks and from then on, for a period of seven years.

“We can never tell anyone what WE are doing,” Jackson told Robson, according to new court documents filed in the father-of-one’s creditor’s claim against the Estate of the late singer and obtained by RadarOnline.com.


In the declaration, Robson revealed the 13-time Grammy Award-winner suggested to him: “People are ignorant and they would never understand that we love each other and this is how we show it. If anyone were to ever find out, OUR lives and career would be over.”

Robson recounted how he first met Jackson at a meet-and-greet with the pop star during the Australian leg of his ‘Bad’ tour. Two years later, at age seven, he traveled with the Johnny Young Talent School located in Brisbane, Australia, to perform at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

“Several family members traveled with me to America,” Robson said.

“During our stay in Los Angeles, I met Doe 1 [Jackson] at a recording studio in Van Nuys, California. During our meeting, Doe 1 invited me and my whole family to spend the weekend at his Santa Barbara County ranch, Neverland Valley Ranch. My family stayed the weekend at the ranch, but then left me alone with Doe for another week.”

On the first night at Neverland, Robson and sister Chantal both slept in Jackson’s bedroom — in the same bed as the adult singer — it’s claimed.

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FBI Files: Michael Jackson Molested 24 Boys – Spent $35M in CoverUp Money – Lisa Marie Presley Speak Out

British publisher The Sunday People claims they have access to detailed FBI files on Michael Jackson’s sordid life with little boys, including private investigators’ reports, phone transcripts and “hours of audio tapes.” Some of the FBI information came from Jackson’s butler, Philip LeMarque and his wife Stella who interviewed with a private investigator in 1993 (now serving a jail sentence for wiretapping and racketeering), resulting in an audio tape, twelve (12) years before the infamous molestation trial. However, if I have unwound this correctly, a whistleblower who worked for the private investigator was interviewed by the FBI and the unnamed whistleblower kept copies of some of the evidence against Jackson. Two reports say Jackson spent $23 Million or $35 Million to cover up, some going directly to the children over a 15 year period.

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Michael Jackson’s Ex Lawyer: He NEVER Paid $35M To Silence Abused Kids

The man who successfully defended Michael Jackson at the 2005 molestation trial says it’s “sickening” that people are trying to “profit and exploit” the King of Pop after his death, in the wake an explosive report in London’s Sunday PEOPLE newspaper.

Famed Los Angeles-based attorney Tom Mesereau rejected the tabloid report, which alleged his former client, Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, spent nearly $35 million in a desperate bid to cover up his crimes after he supposedly molested at least 24 boys.

“The FBI never had any files alleging that Michael Jackson had sexually abused 24 young boys, because it never happened,” Mesereau told RadarOnline.com exclusively.


Remember, in 2009, the FBI released their files relating to Michael Jackson and even though some of it was redacted, there were absolutely no findings of any wrongdoing on behalf of my client. Leading up to the 2005 molestation trial, the Santa Barbara District Attorney was working with the FBI and Interpol and they came up with no evidence of any sexual abuse.

“Believe me, if they had such information, it would have been presented at the trial.”

Mesereau, who recently scoffed at Wade Robson‘s claims that Jackson had abused him, said the County of Santa Barbara District Attorney regularly flew to the FBI’s headquarters in Quantico, Va., during the 2005 case in attempt to find “any evidence against Michael.”

“They never got it,” he said.

Mesereau added, “It’s sickening that people are still trying to profit and exploit Michael Jackson in death.”

The PEOPLE report comes amid the Jackson family’s wrongful death trial against concert promoter AEG Live and Mesereau predicted the damaging article was “likely linked to the AEG civil trial,” although he noted that “I can’t prove it.”

A source close to the Jackson family also cast doubt on the report, noting the Thriller singer had emerged from multiple Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services investigations without a case to answer.

“Michael was fully cooperative during all of his interactions with DCFS,” a source previously told Radar.

“Michael was interviewed for hours without his lawyer. He held nothing back. He couldn’t understand why these allegations were being made against him. DCFS cleared him on any wrongdoing in all its investigations.”

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Internet Turf War: Michael Jackson Fans Locked In Battle Against Wade Robson Supporters

Michael Jackson fans are attempting to have a support group for child molestation accuser Wade Robson removed from Facebook, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Supporters of the late King of Pop are repeatedly bombarding the ’Supporters of Wade Robson and other victims of MJ’ page with hateful and critical messages, according to the page’s creator Michael Parziale.

Among the vitriolic comments on the page seen by Radar are taunts that Robson should “go to hell” and claims that he’s a “greedy son of b*tch.”

They’ve also reported the page — which has over 5300 followers — to Facebook citing apparent violations.

“I started the Wade Robson support page on May 11 purely out of frustration and sadness for what I was reading in the comment sections about Wade,” Parziale told Radar.

“I posted my support for Wade on many of the comment boards and got hate from many MJ fans. Within days of the Wade Robson support page going up, the disgusting and disturbing comments began.”


But critics of the page accuse Parziale of buying ‘Likes’ on Facebook to artificially inflate the support for Robson, the Austalian-born dancer/choreographer who filed a claim against Jackson’s estate related to alleged child sex abuse.

Parziale admitted using the practice of paid advertising, saying it was a commonly used tactic.

“The idea is that people need to like and share the page to be entered to bring awareness and it is working,” he said. “I now have a larger audience. With that larger audience more people are seeing the page.”

One of those to join the page is an Australian man who identified himself to Radar as a cousin of Robson, 30.

“I have just posted some things to let people know that Wade has a family that is supporting him and also dealing with the situation,” Jonathan Keller told Radar.

“I hope that my presence brings some credibility to what he is saying in the public eye and those with an open mind.”

Said Parziale: “The reality is that Wade Robson should be looked at as a courageous individual.

“He is facing great obstacles and is willing to come forward in a very public way to share his story. If this was any other individual he would be receiving support, not hate.”

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Another Trial?! Disturbed Individual Taking Action Against MJ

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, at a hearing in downtown LA on Friday, set a June 2 trial.

Brisbane-born Robson, 31, who as a five-year-old dance prodigy was befriended by Jackson, was a star witness at the King of Pop’s 2005 molestation trial in California.

Robson vehemently denied under oath Jackson had sexually abused him and was a key reason for Jackson’s acquittal, but earlier this year Robson did an about-face and claimed the pop star was a sexual predator who brainwashed him.

Robson said it wasn’t until after Jackson’s 2009 death and the birth of his own son that he was psychologically and emotionally able to understand that Jackson had sexually abused him.

Robson filed a late claim in a Los Angeles court against the dead singer’s estate, which is reportedly worth as much as $US1.5 billion ($A1.61 billion).

A lawyer for Jackson’s estate, Howard Weitzman, has labelled Robson’s delayed allegations as “outrageous and pathetic”.

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Wade Robson Asks Michael Jackson Estate To Admit The King of Pop Anally Raped Him And More — READ The Documents
Posted on Aug 4, 2014 @ 11:18AM


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Case Dismissed? Attorneys For Michael Jackson’s Estate Ask Judge To Throw Out Molestation Claim From James Safechuck — Find Out Why


Lawyers for Michael Jackson‘s Estate have formally asked a judge to dismiss claims from a second alleged molestation victim, James Safechuck, because it was filed almost five years after the pop singer’s death, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

“Safechuck’s petition must be denied because any claim would be barred by the one year death statute of limitations. The Petition was not filed until May 9, 2014, almost five years after Michael’s death,” court documents obtained by Radar state.

Safechuck filed a creditor’s claim against Michael Jackson’s Estate, affixing his name to the suit filed by Australian choreographer Wade Robson a year ago.

Safechuck had worked with Jackson in a 1987 Pepsi commercial, and in the creditor’s claim, he alleged he was groomed, and sexually molested by Michael Jackson for five years, beginning when he was 10 years old.

Lawyers for the Estate, also point out in the documents, that unlike Robson, who claimed he didn’t recall being allegedly molested by the late singer, Safechuck alleges “He became concerned about having pedophilic urges when his son was born and that he was prescribed Xanax during his wife’s pregnancy in 2010. He allegedly did not connect these anxieties to the alleged abuse in 2010, however. Rather, Safechuck claims when he learned about Robson’s lawsuit after May 1, 2013, he thought for the first time he might need help. Safechuck started meeting with a psychiatrist on May 20, 2013, and began discussing the alleged abuse during the treatment.”

Safechuck also retained Robson’s lawyer for legal representation.

During the 2005 criminal proceedings, in which Jackson was found not guilty, one manager of the “Heal The World” singer’s Neverland estate testified he’d seen Jackson and Safechuck in a jacuzzi, at which time the “Will You Be There” singer had his hands “down the front of Jimmy’s underpants and was manipulating the boy’s genitalia.”

A maid said in the same proceedings that she’d seen Safechuck and the “Billie Jean” singer in bed together, with nothing on from the waist up.

Ron Zonen, the prosecutor in Jackson’s 2005 trial in Santa Barbara, said he believes the men that have stepped forward to accuse the “Money” singer posthumously represent just the tip of the iceberg in the potential pool of victims.

A hearing has been scheduled for November 19, 2014.

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Aust Wade Robson suffers LA court setback

Michael Jackson's lawyers have scored a victory in their legal battle with Australia's Wade Robson.


Australian choreographer Wade Robson has lost his bid to grill representatives of Michael Jackson's estate about graphic sexual acts he alleged the late King of Pop performed on him as a child.

"I think the types of questions we are are asking are appropriate," Robson's lawyer Maryann Marzano told Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mitchell Beckloff during Thursday's hearing.

Marzano wanted to probe the heads of Jackson's estate with questions ranging from whether Jackson put his hands inside Robson's underpants to whether Jackson committed various sexual acts on Robson.

Jackson lawyer Jonathan Steinsapir said his clients have already denied anything sexual took place between Jackson and Robson.

"Now they want us to deny Michael Jackson put his hand on Wade Robson's penis," Steinsapir told judge Beckloff.

"We have denied that."

At the end of the hearing, Marzano agreed to withdraw 11 of the questions, but Robson's lawyers will be allowed to probe Jackson executives about other matters.

Robson, who was a five-year-old dance prodigy in Brisbane when he first met Jackson, had been one of the pop star's biggest supporters.

Robson testified under oath at Jackson's 2005 molestation trial involving another boy in Santa Barbara that Jackson never abused him.

Robson was a key reason for Jackson's acquittal.

However, last year Robson did an about-face and claimed Jackson was a sexual predator who brainwashed him.

Jackson died in 2009 and Robson now wants a slice of the entertainer's estate that's estimated to be worth around $US1.5 billion ($A1.6 billion).

Robson said it wasn't until after Jackson's death and the birth of his own son that he was psychologically and emotionally able to understand that Jackson had sexually abused him.

Robson filed a late claim in the Los Angeles court against the dead singer's estate.

Robson became one of the world's top dance choreographers, winning an Emmy Award for his work on US TV and was hired by acts including Britney Spears and NSYNC.

Robson's lawyers say Robson was so traumatised by Jackson molesting him he could no longer dance, sing or write songs

The matter was adjourned to December 16.

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Remembering the past year when this mess began. You han posted little about it. Today it has been dismised.

Taj
@tajjackson3

It will always be a flaw of humanity to cheat and exploit a beloved popular figure for personal gain. Do know the main actors involved swore under oath of my uncle’s innocence. What’s changed? The need for $. I feel terrible for my uncle & my cousins. They are the true victims.
January 10 2019


Documentary Accusing Michael Jackson of Sexually Abusing Boys to Premiere at Sundance
Leaving Neverland focuses on two alleged victims and “how they were sexually abused by Jackson, and how they came to terms with it years later”


Documentary Accusing Michael Jackson of Sexually Abusing Boys to Premiere at Sundance
Leaving Neverland focuses on two alleged victims and “how they were sexually abused by Jackson, and how they came to terms with it years later”


Michael JacksonMichael Jackson 'Dangerous Tour', Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - Aug 1992
Eugene Adebari/REX/Shutterstock
Leaving Neverland, a documentary that accuses Michael Jackson of sexually abusing a pair of young boys, is set to premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

“At the height of his stardom, Michael Jackson began long-running relationships with two boys, aged 7 and 10, and their families,” the film’s synopsis states. “Now in their 30s, they tell the story of how they were sexually abused by Jackson, and how they came to terms with it years later.”

The two-part, 233-minute Leaving Neverland, named after Jackson’s famed California ranch, will receive its world premiere as part of the festival’s Special Events category before airing on HBO this spring.

In a release, the filmmakers confirmed the accusers featured in the film as choreographer Wade Robson, the now-36-year-old who filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Jackson in 2013 claiming Jackson molested him when he was seven years old, and James Safechuck, Jackson’s companion as a child who sued Jackson’s estate over sexual abuse claims. Both Robson’s and Safechuck’s lawsuit were dismissed in 2017. The film interviews both accusers alongside their wives, mothers and siblings.

Dan Reed, who previously helmed the documentaries The Pedophile Hunters and Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks, directed and produced Leaving Neverland. “If there’s anything we’ve learned during this time in our history, it’s that sexual abuse is complicated, and survivors’ voices need to be listened to,” Reed said in a statement. “It took great courage for these two men to tell their stories and I have no question about their validity. I believe anyone who watches this film will see and feel the emotional toll on the men and their families and will appreciate the strength it takes to confront long-held secrets.”


“This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson,” a rep for the estate said. “Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them. Safechuck and Robson, the latter a self-proclaimed ‘master of deception,’ filed lawsuits against Michael’s estate, asking for millions of dollars. Both lawsuits were dismissed. This so-called ‘documentary’ is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations. It’s baffling why any credible filmmaker would involve himself with this project.”


In addition to Leaving Neverland, Sundance also added The Brink, a documentary about Steve Bannon’s time in the Trump White House, to its 2019 slate. This year’s Sundance runs from January 24th to February 4th in Utah.

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I've followed the case so I 'm posting some od tbe thread


Michael never did anything inappropriate’: Michael Jackson’s estate slams upcoming docu-series about alleged sexual abuse

Two men that testified under oath years ago in Michael Jackson’s defense are now the centerpieces of an upcoming two-part documentary in which they reportedly accuse the King of Pop of sexual abuse. It’s something Jackson’s estate called “outrageous and pathetic.”

E! News reports that the new documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” is slated to premiere at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, on January 25 at the Egyptian Theatre. According to the festival, the film allows two alleged victims, now in their 30s’ who knew Jackson as children, to “tell the story of how they were sexually abused by Jackson.”

Although Sundance didn’t specifically name the two men appearing in the film, Jackson’s estate addressed the men by their names in a statement released about the film.

“This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson,” the estate told E! News. “Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them. Safechuck and Robson, the latter a self-proclaimed ‘master of deception’, filed lawsuits against Michael’s Estate, asking for millions of dollars. Both lawsuits were dismissed.”


As CrimeOnline previously reported, a California judge dismissed a lawsuit last year against Jackson’s estate, brought about by Robson, who claimed the King of Pop molested him when he was a child.

Robson met Jackson in 1987 after the then-child dancer won a dance contest in Australia. Robson and his mother later moved to the U.S., where he studied under Jackson and became close friends with the pop star. Decades later, Robson claimed that Jackson sexually assaulted him as a child.

Robson was a key witness for the defense in Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial. Jackson was ultimately acquitted of all charges after the 14-week trial, The New York Times reports.

“In my opinion Mr. Robson’s allegations, made twenty plus years after they supposedly occurred and years after Mr. Robson testified twice under oath — including in front of a jury — that Michael Jackson had never done anything wrong to him were always about the money rather than a search for the truth,” lawyer of Jackson’s businesses, Howard Weitzman, said.

Robson filed the initial sexual assault lawsuit against Jackson in 2013, four years after the Thriller singer passed away. In 2015, a judge tossed out the lawsuit, telling Robson it was too late.

Safechuck, who was in a 1987 Pepsi commercial and later accompanied Jackson on his Bad tour, also filed two separate lawsuit against Jackson and his companies, both of which were dismissed. Safe filed the first suit against Jackson in 2014, which was subsequently thrown out after he waited decades to file, surpassing the statute of limitations.

The former child star claimed that sexual abuse happened between 1988 and 1992. Safechuck said that as he grew older and reached puberty, he became a “throwaway” to Jackson, who reportedly abruptly stopped contacting him. Yet, a photo surfaced in 2016 that showed Safechuck hanging out with Jackson in 1994, while in Budapest. Safechuck would have been around 16 at the time.

Safechuck filed an amended lawsuit against MJJ Ventures, Inc., and MJJ Productions, Inc. in 2016, which was thrown out after Los Angeles judge Mitchell Beckloff indicated that Safechuck “filed his action 10 years too late, and his action is barred by the statute of limitations,” according to Radar Online.

The judge also noted that Safechuck contradicted himself in the suit.

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Both men claimed they didn’t come forward until years later, after therapists and psychiatrists helped them realize they were abused.

According to Pitchfork, “Leaving Neverland” will air on HBO and Channel 4 in the U.K., following the Sundance premiere.



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Some twest from Taj and others:

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Michael Jackson Leaving Neverland documentary and why we shouldn't be free to destroy the reputations of the dead

Even without evidence we are free to say whatever we want about those who have passed away - and that isn't right


When anguished pop superstar Michael Jackson died some ten years ago there was hope in many quarters that he had found peace at last.

But even in death, scandal continues to torment him. First came the ongoing controversy over the legitimacy of three songs on a posthumous album.

Then, in May 2013, a choreographer who Jackson befriended in the late 1980s went on television to allege that he had been sexually abused by Jackson when he was a child.

The man, Wade Robson, had previously testified under oath in defence of Jackson in the 2005 child molestation trial, claiming Jackson had “never” touched him.

But when Jackson was no longer around to defend himself, Robson changed his mind, citing a repressed memory. He was later joined in his accusations by another young Jackson friend, James Safechuck.

Robson and Safechuck sued Michael Jackson's Estate and then the companies it controlled. But in December 2017 a judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that they had filed it too late.

The Michael Jackson Estate claimed it was “always about the money rather than a search for the truth".

But Robson and Safechuck weren’t done there. Last week, news broke that HBO and Channel 4 had produced a documentary accusing Jackson of sexually abusing pair of young boys.

Titled Leaving Neverland, the two-part film will debut at the famed Sundance Film Festival in Utah, USA, later this month and then air on the respective networks this spring.

“Two boys, now in their 30s, tell the story of how they were sexually abused by Jackson, and how they came to terms with it years later,” the synopsis said.

Anyone reading this who has no knowledge of these accusers and their case would assume this abuse happened as a matter of fact.

But there is zero evidence that it did, these are merely claims.

Jackson can’t defend himself and his estate and family possess no powers to stop the documentary from being released.

Everything under the sun can be said by the media about dead individuals like Jackson and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

So why is it that we are free to destroy the reputations of those who are no longer with us?

Under law in the UK and the US, the dead cannot be defamed. This is because the view is that reputation is a personal right which ceases to exist when a person dies and it can no longer be damaged.

Defamation is also deemed to be a personal legal action which cannot be assigned or brought on someone’s behalf.

But while Jackson might be dead there’s still a huge amount at stake.

Most importantly the impact of such heinous allegations on his children, who will be profoundly affected by more assertions that their father was a child abuser.

Jackson’s reputation around the globe also made a steady recovery since that damaging trial in 2005 which saw him acquitted of all charges.

When Jackson announced his mega comeback in early 2009 he was viewed as the King of Pop once more and his death only enhanced that notion further. Now people speak more of Jackson’s music and legacy than the circus that was his personal life.

But this documentary will undo much of that progress.

So is there any hope for the family? As relatives of Jackson do they have any rights?

Interestingly, when ruling on a case in 2014 ( Putitstin v Ukraine ) in which the applicant complained that his dead father had been defamed in an article, the European Court of Human Rights accepted that the reputation of a deceased member of a person’s family may come within the scope of article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is because the reputation may, in certain circumstances, affect a living relative’s right to respect for a private and family life.

In the case of Putitstin v Ukraine the applicant lost the case on the grounds that the impact on him was very little.

While rejecting the case the court said that a claim on the basis of breaching a person’s rights to a private and family life could have succeeded.

But although the European Court has considered a number of cases that related to the reputations of deceased individuals, as yet, none have succeeded.

I can hear the chorus of cries - what about Jimmy Savile? Yes, it was only in death that his horrific crimes were truly uncovered and that his victims felt able to come forward.

But there’s a marked difference.

After Savile’s death police launched a criminal investigation into allegations of child sex abuse spanning six decades.

Officers pursued more than 400 lines of inquiry based on the testimony of 300 potential victims from 14 police forces across the UK.

If the authorities were investigating Jackson post-death, if there was evidence of wrongdoing this would be an entirely different scenario. There could be no complaints.

But the media have a responsibility to ensure that what is published or broadcast is true.

Without the evidence how can HBO and Channel 4 be sure that Robson and Safechuck were indeed abused?

Of course the grievances of relatives, and fans in this case, should not have an impact on the uncovering of uncomfortable truths through investigative journalism.

But therein lies the problem - no investigative journalism or police investigation has uncovered any wrongdoing by Jackson.

So even in the absence of evidence, the media has the power to make the world believe that people like Jackson are sinister characters.

That doesn’t sit right with me.


But while Jackson might be dead there’s still a huge amount at stake.

Most importantly the impact of such heinous allegations on his children, who will be profoundly affected by more assertions that their father was a child abuser.

Jackson’s reputation around the globe also made a steady recovery since that damaging trial in 2005 which saw him acquitted of all charges.

When Jackson announced his mega comeback in early 2009 he was viewed as the King of Pop once more and his death only enhanced that notion further. Now people speak more of Jackson’s music and legacy than the circus that was his personal life.

But this documentary will undo much of that progress.

So is there any hope for the family? As relatives of Jackson do they have any rights?

Interestingly, when ruling on a case in 2014 ( Putitstin v Ukraine ) in which the applicant complained that his dead father had been defamed in an article, the European Court of Human Rights accepted that the reputation of a deceased member of a person’s family may come within the scope of article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is because the reputation may, in certain circumstances, affect a living relative’s right to respect for a private and family life.

In the case of Putitstin v Ukraine the applicant lost the case on the grounds that the impact on him was very little.

While rejecting the case the court said that a claim on the basis of breaching a person’s rights to a private and family life could have succeeded.

But although the European Court has considered a number of cases that related to the reputations of deceased individuals, as yet, none have succeeded.

I can hear the chorus of cries - what about Jimmy Savile? Yes, it was only in death that his horrific crimes were truly uncovered and that his victims felt able to come forward.

But there’s a marked difference.

After Savile’s death police launched a criminal investigation into allegations of child sex abuse spanning six decades.

Officers pursued more than 400 lines of inquiry based on the testimony of 300 potential victims from 14 police forces across the UK.

If the authorities were investigating Jackson post-death, if there was evidence of wrongdoing this would be an entirely different scenario. There could be no complaints.

But the media have a responsibility to ensure that what is published or broadcast is true.

Without the evidence how can HBO and Channel 4 be sure that Robson and Safechuck were indeed abused?

Of course the grievances of relatives, and fans in this case, should not have an impact on the uncovering of uncomfortable truths through investigative journalism.

But therein lies the problem - no investigative journalism or police investigation has uncovered any wrongdoing by Jackson.

So even in the absence of evidence, the media has the power to make the world believe that people like Jackson are sinister characters.

That doesn’t sit right with me.

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