Wade Robson, 7, of Logan City, Australia, performs his Michael Jackson routine while wearing a shirt and hat belonging to the star. Wade won a Michael Jackson dance competition in 1987 that later this month will take him and his family to Los Angeles, where he will study with Jackson for a year.
...Weitzman also repeated the Jackson camp's earlier claim that the allegations against him had followed a failed extortion attempt, specifying for the first time that the boy's father had threatened to report the alleged abuse unless certain demands were met...
Weitzman last night repeated the claim first raised by the Hollywood Reporter Thursday that the father had sought a $20 million movie production and financing deal with Jackson. "We believe that the conduct of the boy's father rises to a level of extortion," he said.
Jackson's security consultant, Pellicano, said he was pursuing his own investigation into who had leaked confidential case files detailing the child's allegations amid rumors that thousands of dollars were being offered by news organizations for copies of the report by the city's department of children's services. Of the boy's father, Pellicano had this to say: "I despise the man."
The boy's father did not return a reporter's calls yesterday.
Meanwhile, a second young companion of Jackson's declared last night that he had not been abused by the pop star. Accompanied by his mother and Jackson attorney Weitzman, Wade Robson, 10, said on KNBC in Los Angeles that he had spent time on a bed with Jackson, but it had been just fully clothed at "a slumber party."
His mother said she had often been in the room when Jackson had played with a number of children and then fallen asleep with them: "They play so hard they just fall asleep."
The boy's insistence that his relationship with the star had been based on innocent fun was echoed by Joy Stevenson, who represents Brandon Adams, the child actor who played a miniature Jackson in the singer's "Bad" video and subsequently became a close friend. "He has nothing but good things to say about Michael," Stevenson said. "Never has there been a negative experience, not with him or, in his knowledge, with anyone else."
The Washington Post [Washington, D.C] 28 Aug 1993: F01.There's been different times where there's been me and Michael. Then there would be other times where he has other friends over too. It's just a slumber party. You just have a lot of fun.
...Brett Barnes is another lad who has come forward. The 11-year-old Brett, an Australian native, looks like a young Michael Jackson, and was staying on his ranch with his mother when detectives raided it in search of incriminating evidence last week (which they have not found). Brett told reporters that he and Jackson had shared a bed, but "he slept on one side and I slept on the other. It was a big bed."
Wade Robson is also 10 and Australian; he met Jackson after winning a contest and was subsequently flown to the United States to be in a Pepsi commercial. He has also spent the night with Jackson, who put Wade's mother Joy on his payroll for a time. "He's the best friend I ever had," Wade said on a Los Angeles television news broadcast Thursday night. A blond interested in a show business career, Wade said nothing sexual happened between them, just video games, amusement rides and shopping for toys and records. Jackson's attorney, Howard Weitzman, was present during the interview, a source at the station said... The Washington Post [Washington, D.C] 30 Aug 1993: B01.Thirteen-year-old Wade Robson is spotted outside Tower Records on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1995, when Michael Jackson's album "HIStory" is released at midnight. Wade accepts a fan's letter to give to Michael. A giant statue of Michael sits atop the store.
PaparazziParadise / YouTube - Feb. 4, 2013PERHAPS SEVENTEEN-year-Old Australian Wade Robson's story is best told by Robson himself: "Hello. I'm in Las Vegas. Vegas, baby. Well, the last thing I did was Britney's tour - I co-choreographed and codirected. Before that, I did 'N Sync.
"I started dancing when I was two. I saw the making of 'Thriller' and knew the whole routine by the time I was three. When I was five, I won a dance contest imitating Michael Jackson, and the prize was you'd get to meet Michael. From then on, I was like, 'This is what I want to do.'
"I was in a talent company called Donny M.'s Talent School. Cheesy stuff, like at malls. We did fourteen shows a week. I performed at Disneyland when I was seven, and that's what sparked my interest in America. I'd done well in Australia - I became like their own little Michael Jackson but I was going in circles, so at nine I decided to move to here. My mother packed up my brother and me. Michael helped me out and put me in a few of his videos. I got an agent. At eleven, I put out a record on Sony. Me and another guy. We were called Kaos...
Rolling Stone #849: 120.(Translated from Spanish by MJJR)
A week after turning 19 years old, Wade Robson can already claim to have given dance lessons to Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and his five friends of *NSYNC.
...
Born September 17, 1982 in Brisbane, Wade discovered his love for music and dancing with the video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller..." "When I lived in Los Angeles, I was selected to be one of the participants in the videos of "Heal the World", "Jam" and "Black and White."
"Last Thursday, I taught a few dance steps to Michael Jackson for "Pop" in preparation for his appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards 2001."
"It was great, I admire that [Michael Jackson] is fan of *NSYNC, that he has such humility."
...
With the money he earned as co-writer of the song "Pop" and as the dance choreographer, Wade Robson, is investing in his own record company, WaJoRo.
Reforma [Mexico City] 09 Sep 2001: 15.Kimmel: You started as a youngster dancing with Michael Jackson?
Robson: Yeah. I started dancing when I was like two. Then, won a dance competition when I was five that Michael was holding all over the world during his tour. It was a dance-alike contest...
Kimmel: Are you still friendly with Michael?
Robson: Yeah. We talk every couple of months, to catch up.
Kimmel: You do? Really? Well what's he like?
Robson: He's a good guy.
Kimmel: He's a good guy?
Robson: Yeah.
Kimmel: Show me where he touched you. [laughter]
Robson: Same place he touched you.
Kimmel: Nothing ever like that? Nothing? No nonsense? No shinanigans?
Robson: No. Not at all man. Not at all.
Kimmel: But he's a weird guy, you have to admit.
Robson: You know what? At the end of the day, it's like, everybody's got something weird about them. Everybody's got something strange about him...
ABC | Jimmy Kimmel LiveAUSTRALIAN Wade Robson is one of the hottest young talents in Hollywood and yesterday he revealed he had as a child shared a bed with Michael Jackson.
Brisbane-born Robson, who has a hit TV show in the US and a three-movie directing deal with Disney, broke his silence about the years he spent visiting Jackson at Neverland Ranch in California.
He is now 21 and shadowed by his friendship with the superstar, which began at age five. But Robson says it was an innocent relationship that never involved any sort of abuse.
"I never had that experience and I hope that it never happened to anybody else," he said...
Robson yesterday said he also visited the sprawling Neverland Ranch north of Los Angeles after his family moved to the US with the encouragement of Jackson.
Robson met the entertainer in 1987 after winning a Jackson dance-impersonation contest and was then invited to perform with Jacko at his Brisbane concert.
In 1991, Robson, his mother, Joy, and his sister Chantelle moved to LA and he was almost immediately cast in three of Jackson's videos -- including Black or White.
He was later signed to Jackson's private label as half of a short-lived rap duo, Quo.
Over the years, Robson said, Jackson bought him instruments and encouraged him in their friendship, which, according to the 187cm rising star, was always "creatively based".
"His initial interest in me was because of my dancing. He saw the talent and the spark I had inside me and all he has ever wanted to do is just help my career," he said.
Asked if he had ever slept in Jackson's bed, Robson said: "Yeah, but nothing strange happened."
Robson said he didn't think it was "weird" that a grown man would share the same bed as a child.
"Everything in life is so complex. He just wanted something around that was simple -- to hang with kids," he said.
"The biggest thing you have to understand is that he has no concept of reality.
"He has been a superstar since he was five years old.
"I mean, what concept does he have of what society thinks is right?"
Robson said he no longer saw Jackson as often as he did as a child -- maybe I will talk to him every six months -- but he would always remain a friend.
"I will always support him and whatever happens is supposed to happen -- I hope it works out for him," he said.
"It is sad to see."
Robson, a choreographer and songwriter for Britney Spears and 'N Sync, has just scored the second highest rating show on MTV with the live dance contest The Wade Robson Project.
He has also been signed to direct three films for Disney, the first a musical, which is scheduled to begin shooting next year.
Hobart Mercury (Australia) - MICHAEL McKENNA...
MESEREAU: How many times do you think you've stayed in Mr. Jackson's room at Neverland?
ROBSON: 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.
MESEREAU: And at no time has any sexual contact ever occurred between you and Mr. Jackson, right?
ROBSON: Never.
MESEREAU: Have you ever taken a shower with Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Have you ever gone swimming with Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: And please explain what you mean.
ROBSON: One time with my sister and I, my sister and I and Michael, we went in the Jacuzzi at Neverland Ranch.
MESEREAU: And do you know approximately when that was?
ROBSON: 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.
MESEREAU: Do you recall what Mr. Jackson was wearing in the Jacuzzi?
ROBSON: From my recollection, he was wearing shorts. You know, like swimming shorts. And that was it.
MESEREAU: Did anything inappropriate ever happen in that Jacuzzi?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Has anything inappropriate ever happened in any shower with you and Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: No. Never been in a shower with him.
MESEREAU: Did you get to know any of the employees at Neverland when you were there?
ROBSON: I wouldn't say "get to know." You know, I knew of them and we'd know each other's names, but it never went beyond that.
MESEREAU: Do you recall someone named Blanca Francia?
ROBSON: Yes, I remember her name. And I remember her presence. I can't place her. I can't remember what she looks like or anything like that.
MESEREAU: Do you know whether or not Blanca Francia ever was in a room when you were with Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Not that I can remember.
MESEREAU: Okay. Did you ever meet anyone named Ralph Chacon?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: How about Kassim Abdool?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Do you recall anyone named Adrian McManus?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: Is everything you've said the complete and honest truth?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did Mr. Jackson ever do anything wrong with you?
ROBSON: No.
...
ZONEN: You're telling us nothing happened; is that right?
ROBSON: Yes.
ZONEN: All right. What you're really telling us is nothing happened while you were awake; isn't that true?
ROBSON: I'm telling you that nothing ever happened.
ZONEN: Mr. Robson, when you were asleep, you wouldn't have known what had happened, particularly at age seven, would you have?
ROBSON: I would think something like that would wake me up.
...
ZONEN: Was there, in fact, a shower at Neverland in the suite, the bedroom suite?
ROBSON: Yes.
ZONEN: But you didn't use it?
ROBSON: I used it by myself.
ZONEN: Was he in the room while you were using it?
ROBSON: In the bedroom, not in the shower room, which had its own door.
...
ZONEN: You haven't gone back to Neverland since you were 13?
ROBSON: I have. Not with him.
ZONEN: Have you gone back to Neverland since you were 13 and actually stayed overnight?
ROBSON: Yes.
ZONEN: On how many occasions since you were 13?
ROBSON: A lot. Same thing. 20, 25. Something like that.
...
ZONEN: Mr. Jackson would periodically kiss you, would he not?
ROBSON: No.
ZONEN: Periodically hug you?
ROBSON: Yes.
ZONEN: Touch you?
ROBSON: Hug me. That would be --
ZONEN: Put his hands through your hair?
ROBSON: No.
ZONEN: Touch you about the head and the face?
ROBSON: Yeah.
ZONEN: Did he ever kiss you on the cheek?
ROBSON: Yeah.
ZONEN: Did he ever kiss you on the lips?
ROBSON: No.
...
ZONEN: Now, were there ever occasions after you were 14 years old that you came and stayed at Neverland Ranch and Michael Jackson was, in fact, there?
ROBSON: Yes.
ZONEN: And you did not stay with him in his room?
ROBSON: The only time I can remember was a time I went up there with a few family members and friends, and we didn't know he was going to be there. And, you know, we sort of ran into him and hung out a bit, and, no, I didn't sleep in his room.
...
ZONEN: On the occasions that you stayed in bed with Mr. Jackson, would you ever cuddle in bed?
ROBSON: No.
ZONEN: Would you lie next to one another?
ROBSON: No.
ZONEN: Would you touch?
ROBSON: No.
ZONEN: Would you consider it to have been inappropriate to have cuddled in bed?
ROBSON: Sorry?
ZONEN: Would you have considered it to be inappropriate to have cuddled in bed?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: The prosecutor for the government asked about Mr. Jackson giving you a kiss on the cheek.
ROBSON: Uh-huh.
MESEREAU: And you said that happened sometimes?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did you think there was anything inappropriate about that?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Did you do it in front of your mom?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did you do it in front of your sister?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did your mother kiss him on the cheek?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did your sister kiss him on the cheek?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did you kiss Mr. Jackson on the cheek?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did your mother used to hug Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did Mr. Jackson used to hug your mother?
ZONEN: I'll object as irrelevant what happened with his mother.
THE COURT: Overruled. Go ahead.
MESEREAU: Did Mr. Jackson used to hug your mother?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did your sister used to hug Mr. Jackson?
ZONEN: I'll object as leading as well.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MESEREAU: Did your sister used to hug Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: And would you see Mr. Jackson hug your sister?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Did you ever think there was anything inappropriate about Mr. Jackson hugging any member of your family?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Did you ever think it was inappropriate to see any member of your family hug Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: Have you seen Mr. Jackson kiss children at Neverland?
ROBSON: On the cheek, yes. Or on the head, or on the top of the head, something like that.
MESEREAU: Ever seen kids kiss Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Any of that ever look inappropriate to you?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Have you seen lots of children visit Neverland on occasion?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: And what do you mean?
ROBSON: 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.
MESEREAU: And how many kids are you talking about, do you think?
ROBSON: Probably about 100 or 50. 75 to 100, something like that.
MESEREAU: Were there adults with those children?
ROBSON: Yes.
...
MESEREAU: Now, the prosecutor for the government asked you questions about whether he touched your hair.
ROBSON: Uh-huh.
MESEREAU: Do you recall Mr. Jackson ever touching your hair?
ROBSON: I can't recall an exact thing, but it seems like something he might have done at some point.
MESEREAU: Do you ever recall Mr. Jackson doing anything inappropriate with your hair?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Ever seen Mr. Jackson touch another child on the head?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Have you seen that many times?
ROBSON: Many times.
MESEREAU: Did it ever seem like anything inappropriate was going on when you saw that?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: When you used to play at Neverland during the day, would Michael often be with you?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: And what would Michael do with you?
ROBSON: 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.
MESEREAU: Did you see Mr. Jackson act in a similar way with other children?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: Ever see anything inappropriate go on when he was doing any of these things?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Now, how often do you recall your mother going to Neverland with you?
ROBSON: 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.
MESEREAU: What do you recall seeing your mother do at Neverland?
ROBSON: A lot of the same things with us.
MESEREAU: Would she sometimes be with Mr. Jackson when all the kids were playing?
ROBSON: Oh, yes. She was playing along with us.
...
MESEREAU: Did you ever see Mr. Jackson do anything inappropriate with any child at that apartment?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Where else have you been with Mr. Jackson?
ROBSON: Like I said, we covered Las Vegas. Westwood apartment, Century City apartment. Sheraton Hotel. He came and stayed at my place once.
MESEREAU: Where was that?
ROBSON: That was in Hollywood. It was -- my mother and I had a condo, and my sister.
MESEREAU: Did you see Mr. Jackson do anything inappropriate at any of these locations?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Ever seen Mr. Jackson touch any child in a sexual way at any of these locations?
ROBSON: Never.
MESEREAU: Did Mr. Jackson ever touch you inappropriately in any of these locations?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: Okay. You've been following these reports that somehow Mr. Jackson was seen inappropriately touching you?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: What do you think of them?
ROBSON: I think it's --
ZONEN: I'll object. I'll withdraw the objection.
THE WITNESS: I think it's ridiculous.
...
MESEREAU: You are a close friend of Michael, correct?
ROBSON: Yes.
MESEREAU: 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?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Did you ever see Michael Jackson show sexually explicit material to any child?
ROBSON: No.
...
MESEREAU: You actually saw kids sleeping in his room from time to time, correct?
ROBSON: Yeah. When he was present as well, yeah.
MESEREAU: And Macaulay Culkin was there as well, correct?
ROBSON: Yeah.
MESEREAU: Never saw anything inappropriate happen, right?
ROBSON: No.
MESEREAU: Has anything this prosecutor for the government has said to you changed your opinion of Michael Jackson?
ROBSON: Not at all.
MESEREAU: Does it change your opinion as to whether or not he ever did anything inappropriate with a child?
ROBSON: Not at all.
...
The People of the State of California v. Michael Joseph Jackson - 05/05/2005Wade Robson will move ahead with his Hollywood career and wedding plans in the wake of the acquittal of good friend Michael Jackson.
Brisbane-born Robson, portrayed by Santa Barbara prosecutors as one of Jackson's past victims, will marry fiancee Amanda Rodriguez in August and has invited Jackson to the wedding.
Ironically, the 22-year-old choreographer and film director will be one of the last in the western world to find out about today's court decision.
Robson was flying back to the US from London, a 10-hour flight, when the verdict was announced.
"The only way he knows is if they announced it on the plane,'' Robson's mother, Joy, said.
The Robson family plans to celebrate once he lands back in Los Angeles.
...
Robson, when he took the stand, flatly rejected testimony from one witness who said he saw Robson in a shower with Jackson.
"We just feel so vindicated right across the board,'' said Joy Robson, who watched the verdict live on TV from her LA home.
"We were crying and screaming and crying and screaming.''
The Robson family has kept in close contact with Jackson during the trial, with Joy last speaking to him when the defence and prosecution rested their cases.
"He's always reasonably optimistic,'' she said.
"He has a lot of faith and relies a lot on his faith.
"He did ask me to pray for him. We all believed ultimately the truth would come out.''
Joy Robson said she never doubted Jackson was innocent, despite the serious charges against him.
She said the world has the wrong impression of the entertainer.
"I've never questioned Michael,'' she said.
"That's the bottom line. I've never ever had a second of a concern.
"I don't care what people say of me.
"You have to know Michael to understand.
"I've always said to Michael `I wished the world could know the Michael we do'.
"He's not what the media makes him out to be.''
...
Joy Robson said her son would push ahead with his career, but also was looking forward to his August wedding with Rodriguez, a 25-year-old beauty from Hawaii who he met in LA.
Jackson is on the wedding guest list, but it's unclear if he will attend because he does not want to turn his friend's wedding into a "circus''.
"He asked for an invitation and we took an invitation to him and he said he'd love to be there, but he thought he'd turn it into a circus,'' Joy Robson said.
The Age Company Ltd. | AAPCredits at end of film:
"Thanks to MJ, for allowing us to use his sacred land; Grace for making it happen."
Wade Robson's Official YouTube ChannelSuited up in his high-water pants, white socks, black loafers and fedora, Wade Robson prepared for his first professional gig performing at the Michael Jackson concert in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia. He'd won a dance contest impersonating Jackson earlier that year, and the prize was to meet the King of Pop himself. Impressed with Robson's fluid glides, sharp pops, and agile hips, Jackson asked him to dance in his concert the following night. Stepping into the spotlight during the finale, Robson moved downstage and threw his hat into an audience of thousands of adoring fans. He was just 5 years old.
"The first dancing I ever saw was in the "Thriller" video," says Robson. "I think I was 2 years old and I started trying to do some of the movements. By the time I was 4, I learned the whole thing." After the Jackson concert, Robson joined a local dance company and became something of a specialty act impersonating his idol. Even then, he demonstrated a knack for creating his own movement style. "I didn't want to be choreographed," he says. "I was just freestyling and doing my own thing."
Robson moved to the U.S. with his mother and sister when he was 8 to pursue dance professionally. With the help of his old friend Jackson, who'd cast Robson in his "Black or White" and "Jam" music videos, he landed an agent and quickly made waves in the Los Angeles dance scene. He also began serious training with some of the West Coast's legendary funk originators. Under the tutelage of Popin' Taco and Popin' Pete, Robson continued perfecting the street styles he so identified with in the "Thriller" video. "Wade was an eager beaver," says Popin' Pete. "He didn't lose focus like some children do."
...
For all his success, though, Robson felt a tug in the opposite direction from the limelight. As the show was coming to a close, he was beginning a relationship with Amanda Rodriguez, now his wife, who grew up far away from the entertainment industry in Maui, Hawaii. "I was going through so many changes in my life with her learning and remembering a whole aspect of myself that I'd forgotten," he says. "She had this whole other perspective that I saw and loved and wanted to be a part of. But at the same time, I was becoming a bit of a celebrity. It was a really strange contrast."
Robson's choice became clear as he shot the finale for the show. "I looked around and had one of these strange, surreal moments where I said, 'Is this it? Is this really what I want?' I saw people looking at me for all the wrong reasons," he says. For the next two years, he disappeared from the public eye and immersed himself in his new love, experiencing life without dance.
...
Although Robson's choreography is said to have no identifiable style, his early "Thriller" influence noticeably permeates much of his current work. His Emmy Award-winning "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" piece (part of So You Think You Can Dance's 2006 season) featured tweaked out zombies dressed in Victorian garb, while his Dancing With the Stars number in 2007 conjured up a dark, circusy funhouse ambiance...
Dance Magazine, Mar2008, Vol. 82 Issue 3, p32-35, 4pMichael Jackson's closest Australian confidant, Wade Robson, has broken his silence about the iconic entertainer's death.
"Michael Jackson changed the world and, more personally, my life forever," Robson said.
"He is the reason I dance, the reason I make music, and one of the main reasons I believe in the pure goodness of human kind."
Jackson was touring Australia in 1987 when during his stop in Brisbane he met Robson who was just five years old.
Jackson was so impressed with Robson's dancing talent he invited the youngster to perform at his Brisbane concert and then helped Robson, his mother Joy and sister Chantal move to the US two years later. Jackson signed Robson to his music label...
Robson also appeared in three of Jackson's music videos, Black or White, Jam and Heal the World.
"He has been a close friend of mine for 20 years," Robson said.
"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.
"I love you Michael..."
AU News | Peter MitchellAN Australian family who met Michael Jackson more than 20 years ago and became lifelong friends was devastated by the pop star's surprise death.
Joy Robson, mother of choreographer Wade Robson, said her family could not come to terms with the news the King of Pop was dead.
"We are all in shock right now," Ms Robson, sobbing heavily, said.
"We're devastated."
A Los Angeles County Coroner's office spokesman has confirmed Jackson had died.
Lieutenant Fred Corral told CNN Jackson, 50, was pronounced dead at 2:26pm (0726 AEST) local time after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.
The Robsons, formerly of Brisbane, befriended Jackson when Wade, at the age of five, won a dance competition in Australia where first prize was a meeting with the star.
When Jackson toured Australia in 1987 the pop star invited Wade to perform at his Brisbane concert.
Two years later, with the help of Jackson, the Robsons moved to the US so Wade could pursue his dancing career.
Wade appeared in three of Jackson's music videos, Black or White, Jam and Heal the World and today, at the age of 26, is one of the world's most renowned choreographers, hosting his own MTV series The Wade Robson Project, working with Britney Spears and N'SYNC and winning two Emmy Awards.
Wade, Ms Robson and her daughter, Chantal, were called as witnesses at Jackson's 2005 molestation trial in California.
Jackson was eventually acquitted.
The Robsons spent many nights at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. After Jackson's acquittal in 2005, the Robsons were again in tears, but back then it was tears of happiness.
"I've never questioned Michael," Ms Robson said in 2005.
"That's the bottom line. I've never ever had a second of a concern.
"I don't care what people say of me.
"You have to know Michael to understand.
"I've always said to Michael I wished the world could know the Michael we do.
"He's not what the media makes him out to be."
AU News | Peter MitchellA member of a Slacks Creek family Michael Jackson took to America 17 years ago yesterday remembered her gentle friend.
Chantal Robson, who became friends with Jackson after younger brother Wade won a talent contest in 1986 impersonating the star, said she learned of his death the same way millions of others did – through the media.
"I got a text message from Wade saying 'turn on the TV, I really hope this is a hoax'," she said from Los Angeles.
"People kept sending texts and emails saying 'I'm so sorry' and I was feeling really mad because I didn't want to believe it was real."
Chantal last saw Jackson at his 2005 trial for child molestation – at which she, Wade and her mother testified for the defence.
Jackson was acquitted of all charges and they have kept in regular contact since.
"Wade spent time with him and his children in Vegas recently. He was healthy and happy. He was finally getting through everything," she said.
She said if it was not for Jackson her family may not have moved to the US where Wade's career has flourished.
"I'm also a choreographer and my mum's an agent. Life in America has been very good to us and it's all thanks to Michael," Chantal said.
She said the private Michael Jackson was different to his public persona. "He's shy but he's so intelligent . . . the smartest person I've ever met and his kids are exactly the same. Incredibly intelligent," she said.
Brother Wade had been devastated by Jackson's death, Chantal said.
"He's having some time alone with his wife to process everything in LA. We'll get together soon and share memories.
"It just makes me kind of angry that it's taken his death for people to finally talk about how wonderful he actually was. He was always wonderful."
Courier Mail | Robyn Ironside and Sophie ElsworthWorld-renown choreographer Wade Robson talks to ET about the private side of Michael Jackson.
Wade has worked with the likes of Britney Spears and many more, but before he taught the moves -- he learned Michael's. At just 8-years-old, the dancer was already perfecting the moonwalk and appearing in Jackson's video for his song, "Jam."
But beyond the music, Wade says Michael was a friend and family man. "We talk so much about him as the pop legend, which is important," he says. "But we need to remember that he was a man and a father and that's what it's about. He was a wonderful father," he adds.
Now Wade is paying respects to the late superstar by choreographing a dance tribute for the upcoming MTV VMA awards -- which will feature performances by Green Day and Pink.
Entertainment Tonight"In general, with Michael, I just had a wonderful relationship. I learned so much from him. As an artist, and as a kind human being. It's my goal to try and continue as much as I can in my little world that legacy..."
"We talk so much about him the pop legend, which is important, but it's nice to remember that he was a man and a father... A wonderful dad. At least they had the time with him that they did..."
Entertainment Tonight...Led by creative director Gil Duldulao, the dancers were Dave Scott, Cris Judd, Brian Friedman, Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Travis Payne, Jeri Slaughter, Laurie Ann Gibson, Mia Michaels and Tina Landon...
"These are Michael's gloves from the Bad music video. Michael gave them to me when I was seven or eight. He's going to be with us, spiritually, and I wanted to feel something physical from him. So, I'm probably going to rock one of these tonight, to perform on stage. To just feel that much closer to him."
MTVWade Robson, choreographer:
Michael's movement was this amazing amalgamation of all his influences, filtered through this beast of a dancer. His lines were so dynamic. He understood the strength of simple movement delivered with incredible precision and energy. An invert of the legs and an extension of the arm were so much more powerful than 15 pirouettes. His energy shot up from the earth. God danced through him.
I remember the first time he taught me the moonwalk at the dance studio at Neverland. I was 7, I think. I remember standing at the ballet barre and him teaching me to push back one foot at a time, teaching me the weight distribution on the balls of the feet. "Now just go, push off, and fly!" he said. That night I couldn’t sleep. I had to get up every 15 minutes and do it again.
I learned altruism from him. In the entertainment industry, it’s easy to get jaded. Despite all of the madness he went through, he had such an innocence. He trusted people, and in his heart, believed in them.
Dance Magazine - September 2009
I used to talk to Michael for three hours a day. I never really worked out how he came to find so much time because he seemed so busy, but he would ring me and we would talk and talk and talk. When he got a cell phone he would call and text all the time. It was part of an amazing friendship that lasted for 20 years.
I had first met Michael when he was kicking off his bad tour in 1987. I was five, but Michael's company were [sic] holding a dance competition in every country and I entered the one in Brisbane. I remember being a kid and dancing to his video- the first ever I say was "Thriller" when I was two. It was my mum's tape and I just went nuts over it. I used to run into the kitchen scared every time the werewolf came on. By the time I was three I had pretty much learned its entire choreography.
I ended up winning the dance competition. We went to see Michael in Brisbane and at a meet and greet I was introduced to him. I remember wearing a custom made outfit from "Bad"- my mum's belt was wrapped around me, like five times. Michael was impressed and asked me if I had danced. I told him that I did and he said "Do you want to perform with me in the show tomorrow night?"
I couldn't believe it. He was due to play Brisbane the next night. His idea was for me to come out for the last song of the show which was "Bad". He was bringing on some orphaned children so he figured it would be cool to bring me out in the full "Bad" outfit. At the end of the song we were all on stage - Stevie Wonder was there too and Michael came on and said "Come on". I took it as him meaning "Get into it!" I moved downstage and threw my hat into the crowd and started going crazy. When i turned around Michael was saying goodbye to the crowd, the other kids were gone and Stevie Wonder was being escorted off. What he meant was "Come on lets go, It's over".
When I realized, I ran off. After my mum and I spent two hours with Michael into his hotel and we became friends. He showed us clips from the new Moonwalker he was working on and we talked and talked. We didn't really stay in contact but i joined a dance company- literally the next day and two years later I was in America to play at Disneyland. I got in touch with Michael through his people, he remembered me. Me and my family went to Record One Studio where he was mixing the Dangerous Album. I showed him some of my dance videos and he said to me. "Do you and your family want to come to Neverland tonight?" We all agreed and ended up staying for two weeks.
Our friendship blossomed. For two weeks he'd take me into his dance studio, put some music on and we'd dance and jam for hours. We'd sit there and watch films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Other times we'd just leave Neverland and drive out in a car, blasting music really loud.
He even taught me how to do the moonwalk. We were in his dance studio. He taught me foot by foot. I couldn't sleep that whole night. The thrill of pushing off the bar and sliding backwards in a moonwalk with the guy that made it famous was so exciting.
Later, me and my mum wanted to move to America to pursue my dreams of becoming a dancer and he helped us out. He gave me a big start by putting me in some of his videos like "Black or White." The role he took on was one of a mentor.
He told me when I was seven that I'd be a film director and that's what I became; he created a thirst for knowledge in me. Once, a mini recording studio turned up on my doorstep, but what was cool was that he stopped me from becoming a spoiled brat. He would say "This is for you, but I want to see you do something with it. Don't take it for granted or I'll take it back".
The last time I saw him was in July 2008. I was in Vegas working on a show and he was living there. Me, my wife and him and his three kids had a barbecue. It was the most normal thing in the world. Me and my wife had been to Whole Foods and bought stuff to cook. But when we got there he'd provided loads of catering. I said, "Dude, Why did you bring loads of catering? We've got regular food here". I remember cooking outside while Michael sat there under an umbrella.
We had great times because he was such a caring person. Most of all I'll miss those phone conversations. I still have my mobile phone with his number on it. I just can't bear the thoughts of deleting his messages.
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 human kind. He was 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.
I love you Michael.
- Wade Robson
The Official Michael Jackson OpusRATV's David talks Wade Robson with at the Pulse on Tour NYC 2011 Summer Intensive held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City on July 30, 2011.
"I'm starting on Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show. So it's the equivalent of the Beatles' Love show they have, or the Elvis show. Which is exciting and terrifying all at the same time because it's such a huge responsibility. But that's why I took it on, because Mike was such a huge part of my career and life. we were friends for 20 years before he passed, since I was seven. So it's an opportunity for me to give back a little bit to his legacy..."
RhythmAddictsTV / Pulse on Tour NYCDancing since he was two, on stage in front of a crowd of thirty thousand people by the time he was five and choreographing Britney Spears' world tour at only sixteen, Wade Robson has achieved more before the age of thirty than most choreographers achieve in a lifetime. Michael Jackson was the personal mentor to this Grammy-nominated, Emmy Award-winning artist who has created memorable works for artists such as NSYNC, Usher, Mya and Pink. He joins host Galen Hooks to discuss his upbringing, his remarkable life and the pressure that comes with success.
DS2DIO / Masterclass LegendsWade Robson choreographing Michael Jackson's Unbreakable
The Pulse on Tour