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In 2013,<ref name=":0" /> Robson claimed that Jackson had sexually abused him at Neverland Ranch when Robson was aged between seven and 14.<ref name=":1" /> Robson said his earlier denial was due to Jackson's "complete manipulation and brainwashing", and said that Jackson had said they would both go to jail if anyone learned of the abuse.<ref name=":0" /> Robson said that his change of story was provoked by becoming a father and experiencing nervous breakdowns in 2011 and 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/16/showbiz/jackson-sex-accuser/|title=Wade Robson calls Michael Jackson 'a pedophile'|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=May 16, 2013|newspaper=CNN|accessdate=January 17, 2014}}</ref>
In 2013,<ref name=":0" /> Robson claimed that Jackson had sexually abused him at Neverland Ranch when Robson was aged between seven and 14.<ref name=":1" /> Robson said his earlier denial was due to Jackson's "complete manipulation and brainwashing", and said that Jackson had said they would both go to jail if anyone learned of the abuse.<ref name=":0" /> Robson said that his change of story was provoked by becoming a father and experiencing nervous breakdowns in 2011 and 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/16/showbiz/jackson-sex-accuser/|title=Wade Robson calls Michael Jackson 'a pedophile'|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=May 16, 2013|newspaper=CNN|accessdate=January 17, 2014}}</ref>


In 2015, Robson's case was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge, ruling that Robson had missed the 12-month statutory deadline after Jackson’s death.<ref name=":1" /> The judge did not rule on the credibility of the allegations.<ref name=":1" /> The allegations by Robson and another man, [[James Safechuck]], are the focus of a 2019 documentary, ''[[Leaving Neverland]]''.<ref name=":1" />
In 2015, Robson's case was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge, ruling that Robson had missed the 12-month statutory deadline after Jackson’s death.<ref name=":1" /> The judge did not rule on the credibility of the allegations.<ref name=":1" /> The allegations by Robson and another man, James Safechuck, are the focus of a 2019 documentary, ''[[Leaving Neverland]]''.<ref name=":1" />


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 23:50, 5 March 2019

Wade Robson
Robson in 2008
Born
Wade Jeremy William Robson[1]

(1982-09-17) September 17, 1982 (age 41)[1]
Brisbane, Australia
Occupations
Years active1989 (1989)–present
Spouse
Amanda Rodriguez
​
(m. 2005)​
[2]
Children1
AwardsPrimetime Emmy Award 2007, 2008 Outstanding Choreography
2007 So You Think You Can Dance
Outstanding Choreography
2008 So You Think You Can Dance
Musical career
Genres
Labels
  • MMJ
  • Wade Robson Creations
Websitewaderobsoncreations.com

Wade Jeremy William Robson (born 17 September 1982) is an Australian dancer and choreographer. He began performing as a dancer at the age of five. He has directed music videos and world tours for pop artists such as NSYNC and Britney Spears. Robson was the host and executive producer for The Wade Robson Project which aired on MTV in 2003. In 2007, he joined the Fox television dance series So You Think You Can Dance as a judge and choreographer.

Robson was friends with the pop singer Michael Jackson as a child. After Jackson was charged with child sexual abuse, Robson testified at Jackson's trial, saying that Jackson had never abused him. In 2013, he reversed his position, saying Jackson had abused him. His allegations, and those of James Safechuck, are the subject of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.

Career

Early career

Robson was in a talent troupe called Johnny Young's Talent School and the group did 14 shows a week, usually at venues like shopping malls. When he was nine, Robson moved to the United States with his mother and sisters. Michael Jackson assisted them in the move and recruited Robson to appear in three music videos: "Black or White," "Jam," and "Heal the World."[3]

At the age of 11, Robson had an agent. Along with friend DeWayne Turrentine, he formed the hip-hop duo Quo and by the end of the year released an album on Jackson's MJJ Music label[4] through Epic/SME Records. The following year, he was teaching dance classes in Hollywood.[3] He formed a troupe of dancing children which performed internationally.[5] He received his first choreography job for the R&B group Immature at 14. The job led to others, for artists such as Britney Spears. Clients were sometimes reluctant to take direction from Robson, a self-described "skinny little white kid".[3] When Spears first interviewed Robson to choreograph her tour, she exclaimed, "He's a friggin' baby!"; she had expected him to be in his 30s or 40s.[4]

During the late 1990s, while still a teenager, Robson choreographed Spears's Pepsi commercials including one which aired during the 2001 Super Bowl. He choreographed the performance by NSYNC and Spears at the 1999 Video Music Awards and he co-directed Spears's 1999–2000 world tours as well as NSYNC's 2000 No Strings Attached Tour. In 2001, he choreographed Spears' I'm a Slave 4 U video and was choreographer and director of NSYNC's 2001 PopOdyssey Tour. In the NSYNC music video "Pop", Robson had to fill in for NSYNC member Joey Fatone during several of the dance sequences because of an injury that Fatone sustained at an NSYNC concert the night before the video shoot. That same year, he directed Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour.

Professional career

Robson was the creator and host of MTV's The Wade Robson Project, a talent search competition for hip-hop dancers.[6] The program was sponsored by Juice Batteries.[7]

In 2002, Robson was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch".[citation needed]

Dance clothing company Power T Dance developed a line of name-brand consumer dance shoes with Robson. The shoes were distributed in the U.S. through the Ralph Libonati Co.[8]

Robson appeared as himself in the 2004 urban dance film You Got Served, which won Best Dance Sequence (Feature Film) at the 2004 American Choreography Awards.[9]

Robson has joined several other choreographers such as Mia Michaels and Shane Sparks on the PULSE Tour, a series of nationwide weekend workshops designed to give dancers the chance to train under top choreographers.[10]

Dancers from So You Think You Can Dance (Season 2) performing the Zombie dance or the "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" which won Wade his first Emmy in 2007

In 2007, Robson began choreographing the American Idols LIVE! Tour. He also choreographed both group and partner pieces for the second and third seasons of So You Think You Can Dance.[citation needed]

In September 2007, Robson was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for the dance number "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" on (Season 2) of So You Think You Can Dance.[11] The choreography continues to be one of the show's more memorable group performances to date.

Robson was awarded his second Primetime Emmy Award the following year in 2008 on Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance for the jazz routine "Humming Bird and the Flower". The performance was lauded by the show's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe calling it "absolutely genius, brilliant, and one of those routines that we will remember on this series for a very long time."[12]

Robson and NSYNC's Justin Timberlake partnered in 2001, co-writing the hit singles "Pop", "Gone", and "See Right Through You" on NSYNC's final album Celebrity. Robson initially had written "Celebrity" for his own album, but was persuaded to let NSYNC record it instead. They also co-wrote Britney Spears' "What It's Like to Be Me", on which Timberlake sang back up vocals. The song's copyright is held jointly by Robson's and Timberlake's respective companies, WaJeRo Sound and Tennman Tunes.

Robson choreographed the animated feature film Happy Feet Two, released in 2011. He originally was set to direct Step Up Revolution, (released in 2012), but dropped out of the project for personal reasons. He was replaced by Scott Speer.[13]

Allegations against Michael Jackson

When Robson was five years old, he was befriended by the American singer Michael Jackson, who was touring Australia.[14] Two years later, after Robson's family moved to Los Angeles,[14] Jackson invited the family to stay with him at his home, Neverland Ranch, in California.[15] In 2005, after Jackson was charged with child sexual abuse, Robson testified in his defense, saying he had slept in Jackson's bedroom several times but had never been molested.[16] Jackson was acquitted.[14] After Jackson's death in 2009, Wade said: "His music, his movement, his personal words of inspiration and encouragement and his unconditional love will live inside of me forever."[17]

In 2013,[14] Robson claimed that Jackson had sexually abused him at Neverland Ranch when Robson was aged between seven and 14.[15] Robson said his earlier denial was due to Jackson's "complete manipulation and brainwashing", and said that Jackson had said they would both go to jail if anyone learned of the abuse.[14] Robson said that his change of story was provoked by becoming a father and experiencing nervous breakdowns in 2011 and 2012.[18]

In 2015, Robson's case was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge, ruling that Robson had missed the 12-month statutory deadline after Jackson’s death.[15] The judge did not rule on the credibility of the allegations.[15] The allegations by Robson and another man, James Safechuck, are the focus of a 2019 documentary, Leaving Neverland.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Wade Robson News, Pictures, and Videos". TMZ.
  2. ^ Maria, Santa (14 June 2005). "Aussies bolster Jackson's defence case". Melbourne: The Age. Retrieved 2 July 2007. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Roth, Kristin (14 September 2000), "Wade Robson" Rolling Stone (849):120
  4. ^ a b Chiu, Alexis (22 September 2003). "Flash Dancer". People. 60 (12):173–174
  5. ^ Margot Dougherty (August 2004). "Dancer-Choreographer-Re mixer-Director Kevin Tancharoen Is Still Evolving". Los Angeles Magazine. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Isabel C. Gonzalez (9 February 2004). "Inspired by hip-hop traditions, dance battles are catching on at nightclubs". TIME magazine. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Linnett, Richard; Halliday, Jean; Stanley, T.L. (6 October 2003), "Adages". Advertising Age. 74 (40):44
  8. ^ Newman, Melinda (31 January 2004), "The Darkness Creeps Into The Limelight". Billboard. 116 (5):16
  9. ^ Segal, Lewis (19 October 2004). "Winning moves" – via LA Times.
  10. ^ No byline (November 2006), "PULSING with WADE ROBSON". Dance Magazine. 80 (11):16
  11. ^ "Primetime Awards" Emmys.tv. Retrieved 31 August 2007
  12. ^ So You Think You Can Dance, 27 June 2007
  13. ^ "'Step Up 4' Lands Director Scott Speer". Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e CNN, By Alan Duke. "Michael Jackson defender files sex abuse claim". CNN. Retrieved 1 March 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ a b c d e Press, Australian Associated (28 February 2019). "Australian choreographer tells of sexual abuse in Michael Jackson documentary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  16. ^ Press, Associated (28 May 2015). "Child sex abuse claims against Michael Jackson dismissed as untimely". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Jackson's Australian confidant speaks out". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. 27 June 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  18. ^ Duke, Alan (16 May 2013). "Wade Robson calls Michael Jackson 'a pedophile'". CNN. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

Template:People v. Jackson

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