Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who alleged they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson when they were children, could soon get their day in court.
The two accused Jackson of grooming and sexually abusing them, and they claimed staffers at his MJJ Productions Inc. corporation aided the superstar singer with the abuse and cover-up, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A three-judge panel with the California Court of Appeal issued a tentative ruling on Monday (June 26), saying Robson and Safechuck have a legal case against MJJ Productions Inc., and the matter can go to trial.
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Robson filed a lawsuit against MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc. in May 2013. Safechuck filed suit a year later.
The two cases were dismissed because the statute of limitations had run out. But changes in state laws allowed the lawsuits to be restored.
Under this week’s ruling, the cases would be combined when they go to trial, according to the Times.
Attorneys for MJJ Productions, Inc. previously argued that the corporation had no liability because it could not control Jackson.
The “Thriller” artist died in 2009 at age 50 from cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of propofol.
Robson and Safechuck shared their stories in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
The two alleged in the film that the abuse began when they were 7 and 10 years old. At the time, both boys were huge Jackson fans and wanted careers in the entertainment industry.
Robson met Jackson after winning a dance competition during the singer’s 1987 Bad tour in Australia. Robson went on to become a sought after choreographer and worked with Britney Spears and NSYNC.
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Safechuck, who later became a computer programmer, was a child actor who appeared with Jackson in a Pepsi commercial.
The two were accompanied to the singer’s Neverland Ranch by their mothers.
The HBO documentary showed Safechuck and Robson, and their moms discussing the fantasy of Neverland — carnival rides, a private movie theater and shelves stocked with candy.
“The days were filled with magical, childhood adventure experiences,” Robson said in the film.
“It’s like hanging out with a friend that’s more your age,” Safechuck added.
But they alleged they were abused inside Jackson’s bedroom and the singer made them promise not to tell anyone.
“He told me if they ever found out what we were doing, he and I would go to jail for the rest of our lives,” Robson stated.
Robson testified on Jackson’s behalf in 2005 after the singer was charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy. Jackson was acquitted of all charges related to the allegations.
