In a significant development, the California Court of Appeal has revived the lawsuit filed by Wade Robson, the choreographer who accused late pop icon Michael Jackson of sexually exploiting him during his childhood.
The case, originally launched in 2013 against Jackson's corporation, was previously dismissed on grounds of exceeding the statute of limitations, as per information gathered by RadarOnline.com.
The initial dismissal in 2017 found the legal action to be outdated. However, Robson's claims were resuscitated in 2019 due to the enactment of a new law that expanded the timeline for victims of child sexual abuse to seek justice.
In 2021, the judge ruled Jackson’s corporations had no obligation to shield Robson from any purported harm. The late singer's estate asserted, “Wade Robson has spent the last eight years pursuing frivolous claims in different lawsuits against Michael Jackson’s estate and companies associated with it... yet a Judge has once again ruled that Robson’s claims have no merit whatsoever, that no trial is necessary and that his latest case is dismissed.”
In a turnaround, the appellate court has now challenged the earlier decision, sending the lawsuit to trial. Concurrently, a similar accusation from another individual, James Safechuck, is under review by the California Court of Appeal.
Both Robson and Safechuck, featured in the controversial HBO documentary "Finding Neverland," presented their allegations of abuse in the film.
According to his lawsuit, Robson was sexually assaulted by Jackson from the age of 7 to 12, throughout their friendship. Robson previously admitted, “Michael Jackson was one of the kindest, most loving people I knew. He helped me tremendously with my career and my creativity. He also sexually abused me for seven years.”
He further revealed to The Guardian, “He made me feel complicit, that I wanted it at least as much, if not more than him... So much of it was validation for me. But what does that mean, that I liked it? Like, I’m a freak too.”
Jackson's estate vehemently rejects all allegations, deeming the accusers unreliable.