Grooming Takes Months, Therefore Wade Robson Is Lying?
Aug 13, 2023
Michael Jackson stans often parrot that grooming can take months, sometimes even years. Therefore Wade Robson must be lying when he said he was sexually abused during his first ever visit to Neverland Ranch.
Some may even point out that all of Michael Jackson’s other accusers say they were gradually groomed and seduced, before any sexual acts were performed on them, further condemning Wade Robson’s credibility.
For example, Twitter user @RaspberryR3d appears to find it so unbelievable that a seven-year-old Wade could have been groomed and seduced in a matter of days, that she is even demanding that another user explains how it was possible.
Maybe you could explain what "grooming" Wade Robson underwent, so he was ready for abuse on the 1st night of his first ever stay at Neverland when there was zero contact for approx 2yrs!
View original tweet here.
However, does the cult of celebrity truly comprehend the concepts of grooming and seduction, or do they intentionally opt not to, simply because it does not align with their agenda of glorifying Michael Jackson?
If we refer to the NSPCC website, it defines grooming as:
"Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them."
Note how it says grooming involves building up a relationship, trust and emotional connection.
For the typical acquaintance who molests children, it would likely take months, or even years, to build a trustful relationship, not only with the child but also with the parents. However, Michael Jackson was not an average individual, and neither were many of the boys who found themselves in his private bedroom.
Despite what MJ supporters claim, Leaving Neverland is not just four hours of "false" allegations. In reality, the documentary delves much deeper, regardless of whether the allegations are believable or not. It astutely illustrates how James, Wade, and their families became entwined in Jackson's life, showcasing both the positive and negative facets.
Even for someone like myself, who had been studying Jackson for many years prior to the release of Leaving Neverland, I was surprised by the level of detail in Wade's timeline presented in the documentary, from his early infatuation as a five-year-old to becoming one of Michael Jackson's close friends with whom he shared a bed, and, of course, the abuse he claimed he endured.
It is precisely this meticulous level of detail in the documentary that, in my opinion, is worth mentioning here, and why Wade's account of being abused during his first unsupervised stay as a seven-year-old is compelling, rather than unconvincing.
Wade was a super fan, someone who emulated Michael Jackson's appearance and dance moves. At the age of five, he participated in a dance competition in Brisbane, Australia, where the prize was a meeting with Michael Jackson. Despite the minimum age requirement being seven years old, the contest organizers permitted Wade to participate (and ultimately win) due to his fervent fandom.
Following this, Wade had the opportunity to dance on stage with his idol, and was even personally invited to spend several hours with Jackson in his hotel suite, accompanied by his mother, the following day.
Watch the clip here.
Straightaway, it's evident that a foundation of trust and emotional connection had already been formed even before Wade and his family encountered Michael Jackson in person. Moreover, being offered one-on-one interaction with Jackson the following day only served to reinforce their trust in him.
Following Wade's stage performance with Jackson, he gained mini-celebrity status despite his young age. He was involved in a dance school as a Michael Jackson performer and frequently performed in shopping malls. Subsequently, he received an invitation to perform at Disneyland in the United States to commemorate Australia Day in January 1990.
Watch the clip here.
The Robson family travelled to the US, and upon Joy's recollection of Jackson's invitation to look him up while in the country, she reached out to multiple television stations before finally contacting Michael Jackson's assistant. The assistant extended an invitation for the family to meet Jackson at a nearby recording studio.
I believe this is key as to why Michael Jackson sexually molested Wade during his first unattended stay at Neverland Ranch. This wasn’t just a brief meet and greet. Wade, who was wearing his Smooth Criminal outfit was not only treated to photographs with his idol, but even got to show him videos of himself performing as the King of Pop over the last two years.
Jackson probably couldn’t believe his luck. He had this family who were not only desperate to track him down, but was shown irrefutable evidence that this seven-year-old kid, who he had met two years previously, had this unbelievable emotional connection to him. So much so, that’s why he invited this entire family to stay at his ranch.
Watch the clip here.
En route to Neverland, Wade was given special treatment in Michael Jackson's limousine, where he had the opportunity to listen to unreleased tracks of Jackson's music. Meanwhile, Wade's parents and grandparents travelled in a separate vehicle.
Upon arriving at the ranch, the Robson family was captivated by its breath-taking beauty. Wade's grandmother even remarked that she felt like she had gone to heaven, and Wade himself compared the experience to traveling to another planet. I think some people underestimate the role Neverland played in providing Michael Jackson with exclusive access to children. The environment was meticulously designed to astonish visitors and create an illusion of absolute safety. Essentially, it operated as a fully staffed five-star hotel resort where guests were treated as the ultimate VIPs.
Watch the clip here.
Once more, a mere weekend spent in this enchanting location likely cemented the Robson family's trust in Jackson to the extent that they felt entirely at ease leaving Wade alone for five days while they embarked on a sightseeing trip to the Grand Canyon.
Of course, there’s some grasping at straws controversy over this trip, as J Robson previously claimed in 1993 that she had taken her "entire family" before returning the following weekend.
It is highly probable that Joy Robson, not only to conceal her own questionable parenting decisions but also to appease Jackson, told a little lie. The recent Anthony Pellicano documentary titled "The Sin Eater: The Crimes of Anthony Pellicano" supports this, featuring Joy Robson's statement that "he took great interest in the family." Additionally, the orchestrated CNN interview by Pellicano, where Brett Barnes and Wade Robson echoed each other's statements, suggests that Jackson and his associates were manipulating events. Furthermore, Wade Robson himself, likely unaware of his mother's 1993 statement, confirmed in his 2005 testimony that he stayed for about a week during his initial visit to the ranch.
Okay, we can affirm that the entire Robson family shared an emotional bond with Jackson. Furthermore, Jackson gained an in-depth understanding of Wade's life and his deep admiration for him. Jackson was also aware that this family's stay in the United States was limited to a few weeks, with plans to visit various states and cities before returning home to Australia. Therefore, a prolonged grooming process was never going to happen.
Nonetheless, Jackson still needed to separate Wade from his parents, which he achieved in a subtle and seemingly innocent manner. After spending some alone time with Jackson, Wade and his slightly older 10-year-old sister, Chantelle, were brought back to the guest quarters containing their parents. Naturally, they were drawn to Jackson, and when discussing sleeping arrangements, he offered them the choice of the guest quarters or his private bedroom.
Wade himself acknowledged that upon reflection, it seemed as though instinct and judgement was thrown out the window. But upon reflection, you can understand how things unfolded.
The Robsons travelled to the United States with slim hopes of making contact with Jackson, let alone receiving an invitation to his private residence. When this fairy-tale moment did occur, coupled with the luxurious treatment at one of the most enchanting places on earth, it is understandable how instincts and judgment faltered. When considering the experiences of other boys apart from the Robson's, one is left to ponder where they all came from and why their parents acted in unthinkable ways. The answer may now be evident.
Returning to the first night, nothing noteworthy transpired between Wade, Chantelle, and Jackson. They watched movies, engaged in pillow fights, and eventually drifted off to sleep. On the surface, it all appeared innocent and harmless. However, this initial night not only provided Jackson with an opportunity to deepen his emotional connection with Wade but also served as an audition, demonstrating to the parents that their children were completely safe in his presence, even behind the closed doors of his bedroom.
Watch the clip here.
This day is pivotal. Jackson was aware that the entire family would depart the following day to visit the Grand Canyon and continue on to other locations within the US. Consequently, he aimed to further impress Wade. They spent the entire day exploring Neverland in electric golf carts and indulging in all its wonders.
Jackson even remarked to Wade's mother that when he looked at Wade, it was looking at a younger version of himself. This flattering comment was clearly crafted to resonate and strengthen the Robsons' trust in him.
The sleeping arrangements remained the same on the second night. At some point after Wade had fallen asleep, he was awakened to a sobbing, shadowy figure in the corner. Jackson explained to Wade that he was saddened by their impending departure and his reluctance to be alone. Wade expressed similar sentiments, burdened by a strong sense of guilt toward Jackson.
It's unsettling that a seven-year-old Wade harboured such emotions toward an unrelated man, but this was a result of Jackson's manipulation.
Subsequently, when Wade's mother discussed their departure the next morning, Jackson suggested that Wade could stay at Neverland or come to LA, or they could do anything he wanted.
Naturally, Wade wished to stay, initially without any objections from his mother.
Watch the clip here.
Wade was overjoyed, and so was Jackson. They had five days ahead of them to do whatever they pleased. Jackson initiated physical contact with Wade, such as putting his hand on his leg and giving him numerous hugs.
Wade said:
"This felt great, out of all the kids in the world, he chose me to be his friend, and he’s holding my hand."
Again, classic grooming behaviour. Start off very slowly with light touching, and see how the child responds, before moving onto the next stage.
The rest of the day was spent watching movies, playing tag and learning to do the moonwalk, Jackson’s iconic dance move. It’s probably fair to say that by this point Wade was literally on cloud nine. The man he had idolised for the previous two years, wasn’t just standing in front of him, but was also teaching him his iconic dance moves at his magical Neverland ranch.
As the day turned to night, it was time for bed, and this is when Jackson molested Wade for the first time. This started with Jackson moving his hand across his legs and towards his crotch area while he was wearing his pyjamas. Jackson then put his hands underneath Wade’s pyjamas and started fondling his genitals.
Wade said:
“There was nothing aggressive about it, nothing abrasive, I never felt scared or anything like that. It just didn’t seem that strange.”
And then Jackson guided Wade to do the same thing to him, including guiding his hands over his erect penis. Jackson would then tell Wade that:
“You and I were brought together by God. We were meant to be together. This is us showing each other that we love each other. This is how we show our love.”
In addition, one must consider that if things didn't go according to plan and Wade responded negatively, Jackson had four entire days alone with him at his ranch to potentially turn a negative experience into a positive one before his parents returned. Jackson himself would have been aware that the Robson family were not in a strong position to make allegations against him. This was a family that had travelled over 8000 miles from a different continent and had spent days contacting TV stations in an attempt to locate him. In such circumstances, who would the public be more likely to believe: an iconic pop star or a middle-class Australian family?
After that first night, the abuse escalated to another level. This included taking showers together, fondling, kissing, nipple squeezing, oral sex and other sexual acts.
Watch the clip here.
There’s no denying that these sexual acts as described by Wade Robson are both graphic and horrific, and it’s perhaps the level and speed that these acts were committed that some people (including those outside of the cult of celebrity) may find unconvincing.
But when you look at Wade’s story in its entirety, from meeting and dancing on stage with his idol at five years old, to going on to be a Michael Jackson dance impersonator, before finally re-meeting his idol and spending time at his multimillion dollar ranch, it’s not unconvincing that he said he was molested in such a graphical way in just a matter of days, but rather compelling.
I also think Wade’s tender age of just seven years old, played a big factor. Most of the boys who ended in Michael Jackson’s private bedroom were usually aged between 10 and 12, an age where the grooming and abuse process would have to be done in a far more cautious timeframe.
Some people may still doubt Wade's story, questioning how a seven-year-old could keep such a dark secret for so long without physical contact with Jackson for a couple of years.
The answer is simple: the grooming never stopped.
Wade said after his family had returned from the Grand Canyon, he felt that his relationship with Jackson had evolved to the next level, and it felt like a case of us and them. He said Jackson had done so much talking to him about “not trusting people”, especially women. Jackson then started calling him “son” and Wade was smitten with the idea that his idol could be his father.
The original plan was for the whole family to depart from Neverland ranch and spend an additional week touring the United States before returning home to Australia. However, Wade, Chantelle, and Joy chose to stay with Jackson at his LA apartment for a week while the rest of the family continued on to San Francisco.
During their stay, both Wade and Chantelle were taken on shopping trips in LA, where they were given the freedom to fill their shopping trolleys with anything they desired. Was this a gesture of generosity toward a family he barely knew, or was it a display of a predatory child molester leveraging his celebrity and financial status to further groom and seduce this entire family?
Watch the clip here.
While in LA, despite his mother and sister being with him, it was very much the same as Neverland, with Wade sharing the same room and bed with Jackson. And during the day, Wade and Jackson would spend long periods of time with each other, supposedly playing games and watching cartoons, while his mother and sister would go out exploring the Westwood area.
Again, it appears that Jackson was in full control of Wade, and his mother didn’t suspect a thing, so much so that Jackson even continued abusing Wade, be it at a reduced level.
Wade states:
“When the abuse started, within that first week, every night that I was with him, there was abuse while my mother was, you know, next door.”
Wade then states:
“He started talking about how much he loves me. What this is […] this is how we show our love for each other. Other people are ignorant, they are stupid, they will never understand. If they ever found out what we were doing […] he and I would be pulled apart and we would never be able to see each other again, and that he and I would go to jail for the rest of our lives.”
Watch the clip here.
If Wade is telling the truth, and I 100% believe he is, you can see how intensively Jackson is preparing him to keep this deep, dark and disturbing secret, unless there will be grave consequences for both of them.
You might assume that's the end of it. The Robson's boarded a plane for their 24+ hour journey back to their home country and didn't have any further contact with Michael Jackson until they returned to the United States a couple of years later.
Little Wade managed to keep this terrible secret without any influence from his idol until the age of nine or 10, right?
Not quite. According to Joy, "Jackson would call every day for two years." These lengthy phone calls between Wade and Jackson, sometimes lasting over 6 hours, were a regular occurrence. Joy also received regular calls, but Wade's father, Dennis, was kept out of the loop.
During these conversations, Jackson began telling Wade that he would become a "massive film director, bigger than Spielberg," and encouraged him to continue working on his dancing in preparation for them to "change the world" together.
Jackson also started calling Wade "little one" (sometimes Applehead/Doodoohead) and even composed a song for him. Additionally, after the Robson family acquired a fax machine, constant exchanges of faxes between Wade and Jackson began. These faxes expressed Jackson's love for Wade and reassured him that they would be best friends forever.
Watch the clip here.
By maintaining continuous contact with the victim (and family members) and consistently emphasizing the child's future greatness, Jackson employed a typical grooming tactic.
However, Jackson didn't rely solely on frequent phone calls or faxes to keep Wade on his side. He also made sure that Wade departed the United States with valuable pieces of his personal belongings. This included the white fedora hat worn in the "Smooth Criminal" video (complete with real make-up stains) and the gloves featured in the "Bad" music video.
It's quite remarkable, isn't it? You're a complete stranger who spends just two weeks with Michael Jackson, and he bestows upon you items worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Wade states:
“My whole life was focused on him, and leading towards him. This kind of fantasy began for me […] that pretty soon I would end up living with him, that I would be with him like a father and son for the rest of my life.”
Subsequently, despite not seeing Jackson in person for a period, Wade was invited to participate in the LA Gear campaign, once again affording him exclusive time alone with his idol. This invitation highlights Jackson's intense fixation on Wade, maintaining continuous contact to prevent any detachment.
Watch the clip here.
Jackson was a constant presence in Wade and his mother's lives, maintaining a persistent presence for two entire years. This included continual phone calls, faxes, birthday videos and messages, as well as unwavering encouragement and praise for Wade.
One of the most compelling aspects of Leaving Neverland occurs at the end of part one, as the Robson's discuss how they were torn apart by the aspiration to relocate to the West Coast of the USA and pursue the dreams instilled in Wade by his idol. Hearing Shane, Wade’s older brother, describe being left behind, and how Chantelle had to choose between staying with her father or mother is heart-wrenching. Furthermore, learning about Wade’s mentally ill father, Dennis, who suffered from bipolar disorder, adds another layer of sadness to the story.
While Jackson cannot bear sole responsibility for the break up of this family, he undeniably played a substantial role, both emotionally and financially.
As to whether Wade's account of being sexually abused after just a couple of days is unconvincing or compelling, I'll leave that judgment to you.