Michael Jackson Accuser Wade Robson: 5 Things to Know

Dancer claims that the King of Pop molested him over a seven-year period until he was 14 years old

By Alexis L. Loinaz May 16, 2013 9:28 PMTags
Michael Jackson, Wade RobsonAmanda Edwards/Getty Images, Pool Photographer/WireImage.com

Choreographer and erstwhile Michael Jackson defender Wade Robson stirred up a legal hornet's nest last week when he came forward with allegations that the late King of Pop had sexually abused him over a seven-year period until he was 14.

Robson, who just eight years ago testified on behalf of Jackson during his headline-hogging child-molestation trial, has now filed a lawsuit against the late singer's estate.

Here are five things to know about the 30-year-old dancer, who has labeled the late music legend "a pedophile and a child sexual abuser."

1. He Put the Moves on Justin Timberlake and 'N Sync: J.T. likely owes Robson big time for helping him hone that fancy footwork: The Aussie choreographed extensively for 'N Sync in the late '90s and early aughts, including their 2000 tour No Strings Attached. (He also reportedly helped write four songs on the band's 2001 album, Celebrity.) But Robson didn't just stay behind the scenes: After Joey Fatone suffered an injury before shooting the music video for "Pop"—which Robson choreographed—the upstart dancer reportedly stepped in for Fatone in several of the video's scenes.

2. He's Literally Snaked His Way Into Britney Spears' Life: That massive python that slithered down Brit-Brit's shoulders during her now-iconic 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance? Robson's idea. The pop star tapped him to choreograph her 1999 tour when he was just 16 years old—a prolific collaboration (he'd later choreograph her videos for "Oops...I Did It Again" and "I'm a Slave 4 U") that would supposedly lead to a partnership in more ways than one: The two reportedly hooked up while Spears was still dating Timberlake. Neither, however, has ever publicly acknowledged that a tryst took place.

3. He Once Had His Own MTV Show: The network put some major promotional muscle behind Robson when its greenlit The Wade Robson Project, a short-lived dance competition that aired in 2003 and offered its victor a $100,000 grand prize.

4. He's Cornered the Market on Dance-Show Cameos: So You Think You Can Dance? Check! Dancing With the Stars? Ding-ding-ding! Robson's been a regular on both shows, and his choreography on the former even netted him two Emmy Awards.

5. He Got an Early Showbiz Start via Star Search…While Dancing to Michael Jackson: How's this for an eerie and prescient omen? An 8-year-old Robson hoofed it up on Star Search back in 1990, where he danced and lip-synced to "The Way You Make Me Feel"—an early tribute to the man he'd eventually defend, and then decry. "Jackson discovered Wade when he was a little boy in Australia," a friend of Robson's exclusively  told E! News. "Michael thought he was such a talent right from the start and so paid for Wade and his family to move to California. I think he paid their rent, got their visas, organized the whole thing."