Choreographer to sue Jackson estate in sex-abuse claim
A TV choreographer has filed a claim against Michael Jackson's estate, claiming years of abuse by the pop superstar.
Wade Robson had previously told a court that the singer never abused him as a child.
His lawyer Henry Gradstein says in a statement that his client was abused by Jackson over a seven-year period.
Mr Robson was the first witness to give evidence in Jackson's defence against child molestation accusations that ended with the singer's acquittal in 2005.
The accusations have been forcefully denied by lawyers for Jackson's estate and the singer's criminal defence lawyer.
The details of Mr Robson's filing remain sealed by a Los Angeles probate court.
Mr Gradstein writes that strain from the abuse led Mr Robson, a choreographer on Fox's 'So You Think You Can Dance', to suffer a breakdown last year.
The abuse claims were fiercely denied by a lawyer for Jackson's estate and the singer's criminal defence lawyer, Thomas Mesereau.
"Mr Robson was one of my strongest witnesses in Michael Jackson's criminal trial," Mr Mesereau said. "I called him to the stand at the beginning of the defence case and he was adamant that he had never been improperly touched or molested. This makes no sense."
Australian-born Mr Robson, now 38 and a father of one, who has worked with Britney Spears and other stars, was the first defence witness during the 2005 trial that ended with Jackson's acquittal on molestation charges.
He also spoke favourably about Jackson after the singer's death in June 2009.
"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," Mr Gradstein wrote in a statement that referred to Jackson as a sexual predator.
"There are significant legal issues involved in this case that have the potential to impact lives beyond just our client."
Mr Gradstein said he could not discuss specifics of the case, but he cited Mr Robson's recent breakdown as the choreographer's reason for reversing his previous statements about Jackson.
"As a result, he started intensive treatment which ultimately led to his ability to come forward," Mr Gradstein said.
But Jackson estate lawyer Howard Weitzman said in a statement: "Mr Robson's claim is 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 four 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."
Mr Gradstein filed a motion seeking permission to file a late creditor's claim against Jackson's estate on May 1, nearly four years after the singer's death, court records show.
Most of the documents are sealed pending a June court hearing, but a summary of the documents states the choreographer includes a declaration from a psychiatrist and an "Unfiled Complaint for Childhood Sexual Abuse".
The period for filing claims against Jackson's estate has long since passed, but a California civil statute allows victims of abuse to file a lawsuit within three years of discovering "that psychological injury or illness ... was caused by the sexual abuse".
The judge overseeing Jackson's massive probate case will have to determine whether Mr Robson's claim can go forward.
Mr Gradstein's statement did not address any specifics about when or where Jackson's alleged molestation occurred, but the choreographer spoke extensively in 2005 about the time he spent with Jackson.
"Wade Robson, in addition to being one of the most talented people on the planet, is one of the kindest, most gentle, decent and introspective human beings one will ever meet. He is the loving father of a young son and happily married," Mr Gradstein said in a statement first obtained by celebrity website TMZ.
His claim was filed nearly eight years to the day after Mr Robson said Jackson never inappropriately touched him.
He was 22 at the time he gave evidence, telling jurors in Jackson's criminal case that he met the singer when he was five years old and had spent the night at Jackson's Neverland Ranch more than 20 times, sleeping in the singer's bedroom on most visits.
During the trial, Mr Robson bristled at evidence 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. I'm really not happy about it."
The claims come as Jackson's mother Katherine, who supported her son throughout the molestation trial in Santa Maria, California, is in a Los Angeles court pursuing a negligent hiring case against the promoter of Jackson's planned series of comeback concerts.
