Myth: Wade Robson Attempted To Hide His Lawsuit From Public View

March 29, 2020

There’s a persistent myth about Wade Robson’s lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s estate. Some claim Wade initially filed his case in secret—“under seal”—to quietly secure a financial settlement, and only went public when the estate refused to pay. However, this version of events isn’t supported by the actual facts.

Wade’s legal team filed his lawsuit on 1 May 2013, and although the document detailing his allegations of sexual abuse was filed under seal, the lawsuit itself was public from the very beginning. His petition to submit a late probate claim for child sexual abuse was immediately accessible via the Los Angeles Court’s website. By 8 May 2013, media outlets had already picked up on the case through standard court system channels.

Certain parts of the lawsuit were filed under seal in line with California Civil Code 340.1. This law governs how claims involving child sexual abuse are handled, especially when filed late. Filing parts of the case confidentially was not an attempt to hide the lawsuit—it was part of the legal process. As the case progressed, redacted versions of the documents were submitted, allowing the bulk of the case to remain accessible while protecting sensitive details.

Interestingly, the Jackson Estate also pushed to keep the case sealed. Despite that, the main petition stayed publicly available online.

The only truly confidential document was Wade’s detailed complaint about the abuse itself. This specific filing was withheld from the public due to its graphic sexual content and information about Wade’s mental health. The nature of the claims was highly sensitive, but the existence and overall substance of the lawsuit were no secret.

The Independent reported on the case on 9 May 2013, clarifying that although some materials were sealed, the case itself had already entered the public eye:

Gradstein filed a motion seeking permission to file a late creditor's claim against Jackson's estate on 1 May, nearly four years after the singer's death, court records show. Most of the documents are sealed pending a June court hearing, but a summary of the documents states the choreographer includes a declaration from a psychiatrist and an "Unfiled Complaint for Childhood Sexual Abuse."

Anyone reviewing the case files through the LA Court website would have seen the following list:

Filed concurrently herewith: 

(1) Notice of Filing Under Seal
(2) [Proposed] Order(s) Re Claimant Wade Robson's Motion to File Under Seal
(3) Petition for Order to Allow Filing of Late Claim against Estate
(4) Declaration of Henry Gradstein in Support of Petition for Order to Allow Filing of Late Claim against Estate: and Attached Certificates of Merit by Mental Health Practitioner Dr. David Arredondo and Henry Gradstein pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.1
(5) Prob. Code § 9151 Declaration of Claimant Wade Robson in Support of Creditor's Claim and Petition for Order to Allow Filing of Late Claim Against Estate
(6) Creditor's Claim. DE-172 with Unfiled Complaint for Childhood Sexual Abuse

In early June 2013, Judge Mitchell Beckloff held a hearing to decide what could be released publicly. News Limited reported that the Jackson Estate pushed to have the entire complaint remain sealed. However, the judge took a more balanced approach:

On Thursday, Mr Beckloff presented attorneys with possible redactions of Robson's sworn declaration and said it should serve as a roadmap for what information can be made public.

The judge believes some of the material could be made public, even though attorneys on both sides would like the case sealed in its entirety.

Some of Robson's private and personal information, including a paragraph that detailed his allegations of abuse by Jackson, should be sealed, Mr Beckloff said.

He also said portions of the records that deal with mental health issues also should not be released.

"There aren't a lot of redactions," Mr Beckloff said of his suggestions.

Attorneys for Robson and Jackson's estate will review the suggestions by the judge and report back at a hearing on June 25, the fourth anniversary of Jackson's death.

Source: news.com.au

At that June 25th hearing, Judge Beckloff made his decision:

The court does not seal the additional material for which sealing was requested in the Further Brief of the Executors of the Estate of Michael J. Jackson Regarding the Sealing of Certain Documents Submitted in Connection with Wade Robson’s Petition to File a Late Claim and Related Civil Complaint filed June 24, 2013 by the Executors of the Estate.

After considering and balancing the proposed redactions, the resumption of open court records, and the factors contained in CRC Rule 2.550(d), the court finds that the justification offered for the sealing is outweighed by the right of public access to the record.

In summary, the idea that Wade Robson tried to keep his lawsuit secret for financial gain simply doesn't hold up. The case was public from the start, and if anyone pushed for it to remain confidential, it was the Jackson Estate. Wade followed legal protocols for filing sensitive material, but there was no attempt to hide his case altogether.