來源：MJJCN.com / joevogel.net
文/ 喬•沃格爾（Joe Vogel）
翻譯：Badthriller
當邁克爾•傑克遜（Michael Jackson）2009年6月猝然離世時，時年26歲的編舞師韋德•羅伯遜（Wade Robson） —— 他最近因指控傑克遜性侵而登上報刊頭條 —— 是這樣寫他的老朋友和導師的：
“邁克爾•傑克遜永遠地改變了世界和我自己的生命。他是我跳舞的理由、做音樂的理由和相信人類純真善良的一個主要理由。他是我20年的密友。他的音樂、動作、鼓舞激勵的語言和無條件的愛將永遠活在我的體內。我會無限地思念他，但我知道他現在已去，正用歌曲和太空步讓天堂入迷。”多麼熱情洋溢的聲明，對於那些瞭解羅伯遜背景的人，這一點都不奇怪。1987年在傑克遜的“飆”巡演（Bad Tour）期間，5歲的羅伯遜贏得了澳大利亞當地的舞蹈比賽，獎勵就是可以去後臺與“流行音樂之王”面對面，並能在演唱會最後和偶像一起登臺。
2年過去了，羅伯遜又見到了傑克遜。這一次，他在迪士尼樂園表演，而母親喬伊（Joy）決定聯繫傑克遜的秘書，看他們能否再相見。傑克遜允許羅伯遜家族到“第一唱片”（Record One）錄音室來看他，當時他正在製作《危險》（Dangerous）專輯。他還邀請他們留在夢幻莊園（Neverland）。這番熱情款待是傑克遜的一貫作風。當時，傑克遜還把無數的時間花在夢幻莊園陪愛滋病患者瑞恩•懷特（Ryan White），後者在印第安那州科科莫（Kokomo）的學校裡被回避、嘲笑和欺負。“去加利福尼亞的那些旅行讓我堅持了下去。”瑞恩•懷特說。類似的正面經歷已經被好幾百人說了無數遍。
去夢幻莊園參觀後不久，羅伯遜家族決定搬去加利福尼亞讓韋德和他姐姐香塔爾（Chantal）有更多娛樂圈的機會。隨後幾年，羅伯遜家族和傑克遜間的友情就開花結果了。韋德•羅伯遜有抱負也有才華，傑克遜擔任導師，教他技巧裡的細微之處，並把他簽到自己的MJJ製作公司（MJJ Productions）。傑克遜還讓他在自己的音樂錄影【像是《黑或白》（Black Or White）】裡小小地出鏡了一把。
羅伯遜在圈內成績斐然，為布蘭妮•斯皮爾斯（Britney Spears）和超級男孩（‘N Sync）這些大牌編舞，他編的舞蹈後來還登上了《舞魅天下》（So You Think You Can Dance）。2005年，他與夏威夷人艾曼達•羅德里格斯（Amanda Rodriguez）結婚。
同年，本來大可避開邁克爾•傑克遜“孌童”審判的羅伯遜決定在宣誓過後上庭作證講述自己和傑克遜的經歷。先由傑克遜的律師湯瑪斯•梅瑟裡奧（Thomas Mesereau）提問，然後是嚴格的反詰問，羅伯遜實事求是地講述了自己和傑克遜在一起的時光。羅伯遜不停且堅決地否認被性侵或有過任何不當性行為。
就在傑克遜幾個月後被證清白後，韋德•羅伯遜的母親喬伊講述了他們家對宣判結果的欣慰。“我們又哭又喊，又哭又喊……我們都相信最終會真相大白……我一直都對邁克爾說，‘我希望世人能瞭解我們認識的邁克爾。’”韋德•羅伯遜邀請傑克遜參加他那年晚些時候的婚禮，但傑克遜決定不去，因為他不想讓喜事變成媒體狂歡。
但傑克遜和羅伯遜還是好朋友。無論何時被問起，羅伯遜一直都稱讚傑克遜為自己最大的靈感來源。
他們最後一次見面是2008年在拉斯維加斯。傑克遜和三個孩子住在那裡，羅伯遜當時正在那座城市參與一場演出的製作。“我、我的妻子和他以及他的三個孩子吃烤肉。”羅伯遜回憶說，“這是世界上最正常的事情了。”離他們初次相見已過20年，羅伯遜親口承認自己過去完全沒有受到任何性侵或傷害的影響。他的生活和事業蒸蒸日上。他似乎還對傑克遜的小孩沒有任何擔心。
根據最初的報導，羅伯遜的律師亨利•格雷德斯坦（Henry Gradstein）聲稱他的客戶宣誓後撒謊並在傑克遜去世後繼續讚頌他是因為所謂的性侵是一段“被壓抑的記憶”。被壓抑記憶 —— 人在這種情況下相信他們阻斷或忘記了一段痛苦的事情，幾年或幾十年後又“恢復了” —— 是心理學中一個非常有爭議的話題。據美國心理學會（the American Psychological Association）所述：“有經驗的臨床心理學家表示恢復記憶屬鳳毛麟角（比如，有一位有經驗的從業醫生報告說有一個恢復記憶的案例是當事人經過20年的練習後才恢復的）。”專家壓倒性的共識是這種“記憶”若沒有確鑿證據是不可靠的。哈佛大學心理學系臨床培訓教授和主任理查•麥克納利（Richard McNally）博士描述這種姍姍來遲的恢復記憶奇跡為“能感染心理學和精神病學的那一丁點最致命的民間傳說”。
在接受《今日秀》（Today Show）採訪時，羅伯遜卻聲稱他被性侵的記憶沒有被壓抑，他只是無法從情感或心理上處理它們。羅伯遜聲稱他在傑克遜2005年的審判中完全清楚他是孌童者，之所以決定宣誓後撒謊是因為他沒有意識到在自己身上發生的事情是錯誤的。羅伯遜當時22歲。但有人也許會猜測他隨後幾年可能會後悔自己的決定轉而向當局求助 —— 至少減少更多的“受害者”。不。相反，他還和MJ及其家人2008年一起燒烤，在2009、2010、2011、2012年不受任何壓力或提示地讚頌他。
不用多說，性侵指控總會被認真對待。當一個成年人可信可靠地講述一個故事，然後突然沒有任何確鑿證據（信件、照片、通話、證人等）地改變了，並提出債權索賠，這事就大大地值得推敲了。不加懷疑地相信這種言論很危險，可能會空口無憑地毀滅別人的生命和名聲。
據韋德•羅伯遜的律師亨利•格雷德斯坦所述，羅伯遜2012年精神崩潰過，在恢復的記憶的“重壓之下崩潰”。羅伯遜的事業陷入低迷，他奇怪地丟掉了很多專案。不久後，羅伯遜決定向傑克遜遺產管理委員會提出債權索賠。羅伯遜還在洛杉磯縣高等法院提出民事訴訟，據說目標是和傑克遜有關的公司。無論你如何理解他的指控，它們都不是為了康復。羅伯遜顯然要錢。
傑克遜遺產管理委員會律師霍華德•維茨曼（Howard Weitzman）在聲明中稱羅伯遜的指控“駭人而可憐……這個年輕人在過去20年裡兩次宣誓作證，在無數採訪中說邁克爾•傑克遜從未對他或和他做過任何不當行為。現在，邁克爾過世差不多4年後，這個可悲不實的索賠出現了。我們確信法庭會看穿這是什麼。”傑克遜的律師湯瑪斯•梅瑟裡奧覺得羅伯遜的索賠是赤裸裸地要錢，考慮到時間點【傑克遜的母親和演唱會主辦方AEG現場娛樂公司（AEG Live）間正有一場高風險官司】和遺產管理委員會在傑克遜去世後賺到的巨額財產。
無論你對傑克遜怎麼看，羅伯遜的案子就遲到多年的指控的本質和有效性提出了嚴肅的問題，尤其是跟錢有關的指控。
華盛頓大學著名的認知心理學家和人類記憶專家伊莉莎白•F•洛夫特斯（Elizabeth F. Loftus）博士指出這些記憶通常可以在治療專家的建議下被喚起。“一些當代治療專家會僅僅根據一段暗示的歷史或症狀的簡介告訴患者他們有一段痛苦的經歷……一旦‘診斷結論’出來，治療專家就力勸患者尋找頑固的記憶。”韋德•羅伯遜在這種情況下可能很確信自己被性侵了，儘管此事並沒有發生。
無論如何，客觀公正應該要求提供證據的責任。羅伯遜自己的家人在過去20年裡不斷捍衛傑克遜，他們都直到幾個月前才清楚發生了什麼嗎？
無數個從小就與傑克遜親近的人繼續無條件地捍衛著他。自從那個指控以來，好幾個從小就去過夢幻莊園的人再一次大聲講出對傑克遜的支持，像是阿方索•裡貝羅（Alfonso Ribeiro）、弗蘭克•卡西歐（Frank Cascio）、佈雷特•巴恩斯（Brett Barnes）和傑克遜的侄子特瑞爾（Taryll）、TJ和塔吉（Taj）。
為了捍衛叔叔，塔吉•傑克遜在微博上動情地寫道：
“我不會坐在後面讓別人跳出來對我叔叔的事撒謊。我寫這些字的時候知道一按下發送鈕，我的人生將變得不一樣……我被性侵過，是小時候被我媽那一邊的一個舅舅性侵的。我的叔叔（邁克爾•傑克遜）是我和我媽的支柱。他寫了一封信給她，許多人都已經看到了，你不知道那是關於什麼的。我之所以知道韋德在撒謊，因為我就曾經歷過這個。我的手正在顫抖。別忘了，當韋德在我叔叔的案子期間作證時，我就住在夢幻莊園。我坐在那裡和他以及他的家人一起吃飯。我不會讓他們玷污我叔叔的遺產，我不想上電視，不想要關注度，我只想要真相。我討厭這樣，是韋德讓我這麼做的。但既然我叔叔邁克爾已經不能在這裡捍衛自己了，我來捍衛。”塔吉•傑克遜指的信是傑克遜上世紀80年代寫的：
“迪迪（Dee Dee）請閱讀這篇關於孌童的文章，請讀給塔吉、TJ和特瑞爾聽。這講了甚至你自己的親戚都能如何變成孌童犯，就連叔叔或阿姨也會性侵侄子或侄女。請讀一下。愛你的MJ。”
翻譯：Badthriller
當邁克爾•傑克遜（Michael Jackson）2009年6月猝然離世時，時年26歲的編舞師韋德•羅伯遜（Wade Robson） —— 他最近因指控傑克遜性侵而登上報刊頭條 —— 是這樣寫他的老朋友和導師的：
“邁克爾•傑克遜永遠地改變了世界和我自己的生命。他是我跳舞的理由、做音樂的理由和相信人類純真善良的一個主要理由。他是我20年的密友。他的音樂、動作、鼓舞激勵的語言和無條件的愛將永遠活在我的體內。我會無限地思念他，但我知道他現在已去，正用歌曲和太空步讓天堂入迷。”多麼熱情洋溢的聲明，對於那些瞭解羅伯遜背景的人，這一點都不奇怪。1987年在傑克遜的“飆”巡演（Bad Tour）期間，5歲的羅伯遜贏得了澳大利亞當地的舞蹈比賽，獎勵就是可以去後臺與“流行音樂之王”面對面，並能在演唱會最後和偶像一起登臺。
2年過去了，羅伯遜又見到了傑克遜。這一次，他在迪士尼樂園表演，而母親喬伊（Joy）決定聯繫傑克遜的秘書，看他們能否再相見。傑克遜允許羅伯遜家族到“第一唱片”（Record One）錄音室來看他，當時他正在製作《危險》（Dangerous）專輯。他還邀請他們留在夢幻莊園（Neverland）。這番熱情款待是傑克遜的一貫作風。當時，傑克遜還把無數的時間花在夢幻莊園陪愛滋病患者瑞恩•懷特（Ryan White），後者在印第安那州科科莫（Kokomo）的學校裡被回避、嘲笑和欺負。“去加利福尼亞的那些旅行讓我堅持了下去。”瑞恩•懷特說。類似的正面經歷已經被好幾百人說了無數遍。
去夢幻莊園參觀後不久，羅伯遜家族決定搬去加利福尼亞讓韋德和他姐姐香塔爾（Chantal）有更多娛樂圈的機會。隨後幾年，羅伯遜家族和傑克遜間的友情就開花結果了。韋德•羅伯遜有抱負也有才華，傑克遜擔任導師，教他技巧裡的細微之處，並把他簽到自己的MJJ製作公司（MJJ Productions）。傑克遜還讓他在自己的音樂錄影【像是《黑或白》（Black Or White）】裡小小地出鏡了一把。
羅伯遜在圈內成績斐然，為布蘭妮•斯皮爾斯（Britney Spears）和超級男孩（‘N Sync）這些大牌編舞，他編的舞蹈後來還登上了《舞魅天下》（So You Think You Can Dance）。2005年，他與夏威夷人艾曼達•羅德里格斯（Amanda Rodriguez）結婚。
同年，本來大可避開邁克爾•傑克遜“孌童”審判的羅伯遜決定在宣誓過後上庭作證講述自己和傑克遜的經歷。先由傑克遜的律師湯瑪斯•梅瑟裡奧（Thomas Mesereau）提問，然後是嚴格的反詰問，羅伯遜實事求是地講述了自己和傑克遜在一起的時光。羅伯遜不停且堅決地否認被性侵或有過任何不當性行為。
就在傑克遜幾個月後被證清白後，韋德•羅伯遜的母親喬伊講述了他們家對宣判結果的欣慰。“我們又哭又喊，又哭又喊……我們都相信最終會真相大白……我一直都對邁克爾說，‘我希望世人能瞭解我們認識的邁克爾。’”韋德•羅伯遜邀請傑克遜參加他那年晚些時候的婚禮，但傑克遜決定不去，因為他不想讓喜事變成媒體狂歡。
但傑克遜和羅伯遜還是好朋友。無論何時被問起，羅伯遜一直都稱讚傑克遜為自己最大的靈感來源。
他們最後一次見面是2008年在拉斯維加斯。傑克遜和三個孩子住在那裡，羅伯遜當時正在那座城市參與一場演出的製作。“我、我的妻子和他以及他的三個孩子吃烤肉。”羅伯遜回憶說，“這是世界上最正常的事情了。”離他們初次相見已過20年，羅伯遜親口承認自己過去完全沒有受到任何性侵或傷害的影響。他的生活和事業蒸蒸日上。他似乎還對傑克遜的小孩沒有任何擔心。
根據最初的報導，羅伯遜的律師亨利•格雷德斯坦（Henry Gradstein）聲稱他的客戶宣誓後撒謊並在傑克遜去世後繼續讚頌他是因為所謂的性侵是一段“被壓抑的記憶”。被壓抑記憶 —— 人在這種情況下相信他們阻斷或忘記了一段痛苦的事情，幾年或幾十年後又“恢復了” —— 是心理學中一個非常有爭議的話題。據美國心理學會（the American Psychological Association）所述：“有經驗的臨床心理學家表示恢復記憶屬鳳毛麟角（比如，有一位有經驗的從業醫生報告說有一個恢復記憶的案例是當事人經過20年的練習後才恢復的）。”專家壓倒性的共識是這種“記憶”若沒有確鑿證據是不可靠的。哈佛大學心理學系臨床培訓教授和主任理查•麥克納利（Richard McNally）博士描述這種姍姍來遲的恢復記憶奇跡為“能感染心理學和精神病學的那一丁點最致命的民間傳說”。
在接受《今日秀》（Today Show）採訪時，羅伯遜卻聲稱他被性侵的記憶沒有被壓抑，他只是無法從情感或心理上處理它們。羅伯遜聲稱他在傑克遜2005年的審判中完全清楚他是孌童者，之所以決定宣誓後撒謊是因為他沒有意識到在自己身上發生的事情是錯誤的。羅伯遜當時22歲。但有人也許會猜測他隨後幾年可能會後悔自己的決定轉而向當局求助 —— 至少減少更多的“受害者”。不。相反，他還和MJ及其家人2008年一起燒烤，在2009、2010、2011、2012年不受任何壓力或提示地讚頌他。
不用多說，性侵指控總會被認真對待。當一個成年人可信可靠地講述一個故事，然後突然沒有任何確鑿證據（信件、照片、通話、證人等）地改變了，並提出債權索賠，這事就大大地值得推敲了。不加懷疑地相信這種言論很危險，可能會空口無憑地毀滅別人的生命和名聲。
據韋德•羅伯遜的律師亨利•格雷德斯坦所述，羅伯遜2012年精神崩潰過，在恢復的記憶的“重壓之下崩潰”。羅伯遜的事業陷入低迷，他奇怪地丟掉了很多專案。不久後，羅伯遜決定向傑克遜遺產管理委員會提出債權索賠。羅伯遜還在洛杉磯縣高等法院提出民事訴訟，據說目標是和傑克遜有關的公司。無論你如何理解他的指控，它們都不是為了康復。羅伯遜顯然要錢。
傑克遜遺產管理委員會律師霍華德•維茨曼（Howard Weitzman）在聲明中稱羅伯遜的指控“駭人而可憐……這個年輕人在過去20年裡兩次宣誓作證，在無數採訪中說邁克爾•傑克遜從未對他或和他做過任何不當行為。現在，邁克爾過世差不多4年後，這個可悲不實的索賠出現了。我們確信法庭會看穿這是什麼。”傑克遜的律師湯瑪斯•梅瑟裡奧覺得羅伯遜的索賠是赤裸裸地要錢，考慮到時間點【傑克遜的母親和演唱會主辦方AEG現場娛樂公司（AEG Live）間正有一場高風險官司】和遺產管理委員會在傑克遜去世後賺到的巨額財產。
無論你對傑克遜怎麼看，羅伯遜的案子就遲到多年的指控的本質和有效性提出了嚴肅的問題，尤其是跟錢有關的指控。
華盛頓大學著名的認知心理學家和人類記憶專家伊莉莎白•F•洛夫特斯（Elizabeth F. Loftus）博士指出這些記憶通常可以在治療專家的建議下被喚起。“一些當代治療專家會僅僅根據一段暗示的歷史或症狀的簡介告訴患者他們有一段痛苦的經歷……一旦‘診斷結論’出來，治療專家就力勸患者尋找頑固的記憶。”韋德•羅伯遜在這種情況下可能很確信自己被性侵了，儘管此事並沒有發生。
無論如何，客觀公正應該要求提供證據的責任。羅伯遜自己的家人在過去20年裡不斷捍衛傑克遜，他們都直到幾個月前才清楚發生了什麼嗎？
無數個從小就與傑克遜親近的人繼續無條件地捍衛著他。自從那個指控以來，好幾個從小就去過夢幻莊園的人再一次大聲講出對傑克遜的支持，像是阿方索•裡貝羅（Alfonso Ribeiro）、弗蘭克•卡西歐（Frank Cascio）、佈雷特•巴恩斯（Brett Barnes）和傑克遜的侄子特瑞爾（Taryll）、TJ和塔吉（Taj）。
為了捍衛叔叔，塔吉•傑克遜在微博上動情地寫道：
“我不會坐在後面讓別人跳出來對我叔叔的事撒謊。我寫這些字的時候知道一按下發送鈕，我的人生將變得不一樣……我被性侵過，是小時候被我媽那一邊的一個舅舅性侵的。我的叔叔（邁克爾•傑克遜）是我和我媽的支柱。他寫了一封信給她，許多人都已經看到了，你不知道那是關於什麼的。我之所以知道韋德在撒謊，因為我就曾經歷過這個。我的手正在顫抖。別忘了，當韋德在我叔叔的案子期間作證時，我就住在夢幻莊園。我坐在那裡和他以及他的家人一起吃飯。我不會讓他們玷污我叔叔的遺產，我不想上電視，不想要關注度，我只想要真相。我討厭這樣，是韋德讓我這麼做的。但既然我叔叔邁克爾已經不能在這裡捍衛自己了，我來捍衛。”塔吉•傑克遜指的信是傑克遜上世紀80年代寫的：
“迪迪（Dee Dee）請閱讀這篇關於孌童的文章，請讀給塔吉、TJ和特瑞爾聽。這講了甚至你自己的親戚都能如何變成孌童犯，就連叔叔或阿姨也會性侵侄子或侄女。請讀一下。愛你的MJ。”
後來在面對公眾把他看成孌童犯時，傑克遜為一首未發行歌曲《清白的人》（An Innocent Man）創作了這些歌詞：
“If I sail to Acapulco 如果我飄洋到阿卡普爾科
or Cancun, Mexico 或墨西哥的坎昆
There the law is waiting 那裡的法律正在等我
and God knows that I'm innocent上帝知道我的清白
If they wont take me in Cairo如果開羅不接受我
then lord where will I go?主啊，我將去向何方？
I'll die a man without a country我將死去，成為一個沒有國家的人
and only God knew I was innocent now.現在，只有上帝知道我的清白。”身為一個把自己的家開放給包括窮人和病童在內的成千上萬個人的古怪富翁，傑克遜不可否認地成為易受攻擊的靶子。但成千上萬個孩子和他待過，卻只有幾個被性侵，你能想像得到嗎？經歷1993年和2003年兩次未經通知的仔細搜查而沒有發現兒童色情產品或其它確鑿證據，傑克遜卻能巧妙地隱藏犯罪行為，這可能嗎？
我們全社會是否已經把傑克遜的不同和怪異與犯罪行為混為一談了？2005年，資訊評論員南茜•格蕾絲（Nancy Grace）通過傑克遜古怪的外表和兒童般敏感就臭名昭著地推導出他有罪。在她看來，一個成年男子想和孩子在一起待那麼長時間卻不想和他們發生性關係簡直難以置信。
毫無疑問，聽說過這些新指控後，一些人同樣會得出結論：無風不起浪。
傑克遜當然不能在這裡為自己辯護。公正的人至少會把這個被忽視的悲劇看成：上世紀最有才華、最能創新的一個藝術家的生活和事業的脫軌，並最終被指控、影射、聳聞和猜疑所摧毀，但卻沒有確鑿的證據，證人和原告要的只是錢。
“政治迫害”常被用來描述由威脅到我們正常感、秩序和社會人假設的人引起的道德恐慌和歇斯底里。他們必須被處罰或懲罰而讓人們感覺安全，無論他們實際上有沒有犯下罪行。所以在賽倫女巫審判中，女人由於一系列被認為“可疑的”的行為或特徵而被側寫、侮辱和判死刑。或者歷史上非裔美國男性被不公正地當成靶子攻擊和私刑處死，僅僅因為神話和文化上他們對白人女性“掠奪成性”意圖的根深蒂固的癔病。
充其一生（現在人已不在），邁克爾•傑克遜比美國歷史上的任何人都面臨更多的無聊指控。“顫慄”（Thriller）期間，幾十名女子聲稱他是她們孩子的父親。2010年，一個名叫比莉•珍（Billie Jean）的女子還向傑克遜遺產管理委員會提出6億美元的親子官司。
2010年，傑克遜的部分FBI檔案在包括英國記者查理斯•湯姆森（Charles Thomson）在內的媒體要求下遵照《資訊自由法案》公佈。“這是一份冗長的報告。”湯姆森寫道，“展現了當傑克遜的夢幻莊園2003年被搜查時，FBI仔細檢查了夢幻莊園的每台電腦，尋找任何能證明其罪的檔或網路活動。傑克遜的檔案中包括FBI對16台電腦每一台調查的單獨總結，16份報告上都用大寫字母潦草地寫著 —— ‘無’。”《滾石》（Rolling Stone）雜誌一位沒有對傑克遜遺產投入精力的尖銳的文化評論員馬特•泰比（Matt Taibbi）如是描述2005年針對傑克遜的官司：
“表面上是一個要把孌童犯繩之以法的故事，邁克爾•傑克遜的官司卻成為了一種枯燥無味的美國式返校遊行：騙子、傻子和無才的謀子，這些人要麼徹底失業了……要麼就是在資訊時代假裝沒有工作，希望盡可能去牟利。訴訟的主持人是地方檢察官湯姆•史奈頓（Tom Sneddon），他在這場美國真人秀的象徵性角色就是代表了尼克森說的沉默的大多數 —— 那些憤憤不平的庸人，渴望能粗暴對待可以去巴黎度假的人—— 的刻薄陰暗的內心。審判第一個月裡可能出現了美國刑事案件中最不達標的一群原告證人 —— 幾乎就是一群鐵定的騙子、拿了錢的小報販子，甚至更糟……隨後6周，他案子的每一部分實際上都在公開法庭裡崩潰了，案件的主要看點很快轉化成一場比賽，看地方檢察官能否讓他所有的證人都出庭而不是被戴著手銬被帶出法庭。史奈頓對傑克遜如此苛刻是一場基於信念的復仇，每一步都盲目而絕望，就像喬治•布希（George Bush）對薩達姆•侯賽因（Saddam Hussein）的‘案子’……”傑克遜歷經2年激烈的調查、證詞和訴訟，於2005年被判無罪。4年後的2009年，經過多年文化賤民和從一個國家漂泊到另一個國家的流浪漢生活，他逝於洛杉磯，享年50歲。有人猜測這是一線希望，至少他的許多問題可以結束，焦點可以轉回他豐厚的藝術遺產。但只要涉及到大筆的錢，騙子們似乎就會一撥撥地繼續浮現。
在輿論法庭，邁克爾•傑克遜被迫害案仍在繼續。
Michael Jackson, Delayed Allegations and Witch Hunts
When Michael Jackson died unexpectedly in June of 2009, then-26-year-old choreographer Wade Robson – who has recently made headlines for accusing the pop star of molestation – wrote about his longtime friend and mentor:
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 humankind. He has been 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.
Such a gushing statement came as no surprise to those who knew Robson’s backstory. During Jackson’s Bad World Tour in 1987, five-year-old Robson won a local dance competition in Australia. The reward was attending a backstage meet-and-greet with the King of Pop and the opportunity to join his idol on stage at the end of the concert.
Two years passed before Robson saw Jackson again. This time he was performing at Disneyland when his mother, Joy, decided to reach out to Jackson’s secretary to see if they could meet again. Jackson allowed the Robson family to visit him at the recording studio at Record One where he was working on his Dangerous album. He also invited them to stay at his Neverland Ranch. This hospitality was not unusual for Jackson. Around this same time, Jackson also spent countless hours at his Ranch with AIDS victim, Ryan White, who had been shunned, taunted and bullied at his school in Kokomo, Indiana. “Those trips to California kept me going,” Ryan White said. Similar positive experiences have been shared by hundreds of others.
Not long after their visit to Neverland, the Robson family decided to move to California to allow Wade and his sister, Chantal, more opportunities in the entertainment industry. Over the subsequent years, a friendship blossomed between the Robsons and Jackson. Wade Robson was ambitious and talented, and Jackson took on the role of mentor, teaching him the nuances of his craft and signing him to his MJJ Productions label. Jackson also gave him small parts in his music videos, including “Black or White.”
Robson went on to have a successful career in the industry, choreographing for the likes of Britney Spears and ‘N Sync, and later having his work showcased on shows like So You Think You Can Dance. In 2005, he married Hawaii native Amanda Rodriguez.
That same year, Robson, who had every reason to avoid the circus that was the 2005 Michael Jackson child molestation trial, decided to testify under oath about his experiences with the singer. First questioned by Jackson’s attorney Thomas Mesereau and then under rigorous cross-examination, Robson matter-of-factly gave his account of his time with the artist. Robson repeatedly and adamantly denied being molested or of any other inappropriate sexual activity.
After Jackson was acquitted of all charges a few months later, Wade Robson’s mother Joy spoke of their family’s relief about the verdict. “We were crying and screaming and crying and screaming…We all believed ultimately the truth would come out…I’ve always said to Michael, ‘I wished the world could know the Michael we do.’”
Wade Robson invited Jackson to his wedding later that year, but Jackson decided not to attend because he did not want to turn the joyous occasion into a media circus.
Jackson and Robson, however, remained good friends. Whenever asked, Robson continued to praise Jackson as his biggest inspiration.
They last met in Las Vegas in 2008. Jackson was living there with his three children and Robson was working on a show in the city. “Me, my wife and him and his three kids had a barbecue,”recalled Robson. “It was the most normal thing in the world.”
It had been over twenty years since they first met, and Robson was still, by his own admission, completely unaffected by any past abuse or trauma. His life and career were thriving. He also seemed to have no concerns about Jackson’s own young children.
According to initial reports, Robson’s attorney, Henry Gradstein, claimed the reason his client lied under oath and continued to praise the pop star following his death was because the alleged abuse was a “repressed memory.” Repressed memories — instances in which an individual believes they have blocked or forgotten a traumatic event before“recovering” it years or decades later — has become a highly controversial subject in the field of psychology. According to the American Psychological Association, “experienced clinical psychologists state that the phenomenon of a recovered memory is rare (e.g., one experienced practitioner reported having a recovered memory arise only once in 20 years of practice).”The overwhelming consensus by experts is that such “memories” are not reliable without corroborating evidence. Dr. Richard McNally, Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, describes the phenomenon of belatedly recovered memories as “the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology and psychiatry.”
In his interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, however, Robson claimed that that his memories of abuse were not repressed; he was simply unable to process them emotionally or psychologically. Robson claims that he was fully aware Jackson was a child abuser at the time of his 2005 trial, but decided to lie under oath because he didn’t yet realize what happened to him was wrong. Robson was 22 at the time. But perhaps, one might assume, in the months or years to come he regretted his decision and went to authorities — at least to prevent further “victims.” Nope. Instead, he was barbecuing with MJ and family in 2008, and praising him without any pressure or prompt in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
It goes without saying that accusations of abuse must always be taken seriously. When an individual has told one story very credibly and convincingly as an adult, however, and then suddenly changes it with no corroborating evidence (letters, photos, phone conversations, witnesses, etc.) to file a creditor’s claim, it deserves a healthy dose of skepticism. Believing such claims on faith can be dangerous, destroying lives and reputations with absolutely no proof beyond the accusation.
According to Wade Robson’s attorney, Henry Gradstein, it was sometime in 2012 when the choreographer had a mental breakdown, and “collapsed under the stress” of his recovered memory. Robson’s career had also taken a downturn with the choreographer mysteriously dropping out of many projects. Soon after, Robson decided to file a creditor’s claim against Jackson’s estate. Robson also filed a civil lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, in which he is reportedly targeting companies associated with Jackson. Whatever one makes of his allegations, then, they are not simply to heal. Robson clearly wants a payout.
In a statement, Howard Weitzman, an attorney representing Jackson’s estate, called Robson’s accusations “outrageous and pathetic…This is a young man who has testified at least twice under oath over the past 20 years and said in numerous interviews that Michael Jackson never did anything inappropriate to him or with him. Now, nearly 4 years after Michael has passed this sad and less than credible claim has been made. We are confident that the court will see this for what it is.“
Jackson’s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, feels Robson’s claims are shamelessly motivated by money, given the timing (a high-stakes trial between Jackson’s mother and concert promoter AEG Live, is currently being litigated) and the enormous amount of wealth the Jackson estate has generated since the singer’s death.
Regardless of one’s views of Jackson, Robson’s case raises serious questions about the nature and validity of decade-delayed allegations, especially when attached to money.
Dr. Elizabeth F. Loftus, a renowned cognitive psychologist and human memory expert from the University of Washington, notes that these memories can often be triggered by therapist suggestion. “Some contemporary therapists have been known to tell patients, merely on the basis of a suggestive history or symptom profile, that they definitely had a traumatic experience…Once the ‘diagnosis’ is made, the therapist urges the patient to pursue the recalcitrant memories.”
Wade Robson, then, could very well believe he was abused even if it never happened.
In any case, objectivity and fairness should compel at least some burden of proof. Robson’s own family members have repeatedly defended Jackson over a period of twenty years. Were all of them completely oblivious to what happened until just months ago?
Numerous other individuals who were close to Jackson as children continue to defend him with no apparent incentive for doing so. Since the latest allegations, several people who visited Jackson’s Neverland Ranch as children, have once again spoken out in support of the artist, including Alfonso Ribeiro, Frank Cascio, Brett Barnes, and Jackson’s nephews, Taryll, T.J. and Taj Jackson.
In defense of his uncle, Taj Jackson wrote movingly on Twitter:
I will not sit back and let someone flat out lie about my uncle. PERIOD. I am writing these words knowing that the minute I press send, my life will never be the same afterwards…I was sexually abuse[d]. By an uncle on my mom’s side of the family when I was a kid. My uncle [Michael Jackson] was a support system for me and my mom. He wrote a letter to her that many have seen already, u just didn’t know what it was about. That is how I KNOW Wade is lying. Because I AM a survivor. My hands are still trembling. Don’t forget I was living at Neverland when Wade testified during my uncle’s case. I sat there and ate dinner with him and his family. I will not let them smear my Uncle’s legacy. I don’t want to go on TV. I don’t want publicity, I just want the truth. I hate that Wade made me do this, this way. But since my uncle Michael is no longer here to defend himself. I will.
The letter Taj Jackson referred to was written by Jackson some time in the 1980s. It reads:
Dee Dee Please read this article about child molestation and please read it to Taj, T.J., and Taryll, it brings out how even your own relatives can be molesters of children, or even uncles or aunts molesting nephews or nieces, please read. Love MJ.
Later faced with the public perception that he himself was a child molester, Jackson wrote these lyrics to an unreleased song, called “An Innocent Man”:
If I sail to Acapulco
Or Cancun, Mexico
There the law is waiting
And God knows that I’m innocent
If they won’t take me in Cairo
Then Lord where will I go?
I’ll die a man without a country
And only God knew I was innocent now.
As an eccentric, wealthy man who opened his home to thousands of people, including disadvantaged and ill children, Jackson was an undeniably easy target. But is it conceivable that of the hundreds of children who spent time with him, only a handful were abused? Is it possible that after two unannounced, scouring searches of his homes, in 1993 and again in 2003, resulting in no child pornography or other corroborating evidence, that the artist was nonetheless masterfully hiding criminal behavior?
Or have we, as a society, conflated Jackson’s difference and eccentricity with criminality? In 2005, infotainment pundit Nancy Grace infamously deduced Jackson’s guilt from his strange appearance and childlike sensibility. It was inconceivable to her that a grown man would want to spend so much time with children without wanting to have sex with them.
No doubt, after hearing these latest accusations, some will likewise conclude that “where there is smoke there is fire.”
Jackson, of course, is no longer here to defend himself. But the unacknowledged tragedy the fair-minded person must at least consider is this: the life and career of one of the most talented and creative artists of the past century was derailed and ultimately destroyed by allegations, innuendo, sensationalism and speculation, but no concrete evidence and no witnesses or accusers who didn’t want money.
The term “witch hunt” is often used to describe the moral panic and hysteria caused by individuals who threaten our sense of normalcy, order and social assumptions. They must be disciplined or punished to allow people to feel safe, regardless of actual guilt or innocence. So, for example, in the Salem witch trials, women were profiled, accused and sentenced to death for a range of perceived “suspicious” behaviors or traits. Or, historically, African American men have been unfairly targeted and lynched because of myths and culturally-ingrained hysteria about their “predatory” intentions with white women (see D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation).
Over his lifetime (and now in death), Michael Jackson faced more frivolous lawsuits than any individual in American history. During the Thriller era, dozens of women claimed he was the father of their children. As recently as 2010, a woman named Billie Jean filed a $600 million paternity lawsuit against Jackson’s estate.
In 2010, part of Jackson’s FBI file was released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at the request of media, including British journalist Charles Thomson. “A lengthy report,” writes Thomson, “shows that when Jackson’s Neverland Ranch was raided in 2003, the FBI went over every computer seized from the property with a fine tooth comb looking for any incriminating files or internet activity. Jackson’s file contained individual summaries of the FBI’s findings for each of the 16 computers. Scrawled in capital letters across each of those 16 reports – ‘NOTHING’.”
Rolling Stone‘s Matt Taibbi, an incisive cultural critic with no investment whatsoever in Jackson’s legacy, described the 2005 court case against Jackson like this:
Ostensibly a story about bringing a child molester to justice, the Michael Jackson trial would instead be a kind of homecoming parade of insipid American types: grifters, suckers and no-talent schemers, mired in either outright unemployment…or the bogus non-careers of the information age, looking to cash in any way they can. The MC of the proceedings was District Attorney Tom Sneddon, whose metaphorical role in this American reality show was to represent the mean gray heart of the Nixonian Silent Majority – the bitter mediocrity itching to stick it to anyone who’d ever taken a vacation to Paris. The first month or so of the trial featured perhaps the most compromised collection of prosecution witnesses ever assembled in an American criminal case – almost to a man a group of convicted liars, paid gossip hawkers or worse…
In the next six weeks, virtually every piece of his case imploded in open court, and the chief drama of the trial quickly turned into a race to see if the DA could manage to put all of his witnesses on the stand without getting any of them removed from the courthouse in manacles. Sneddon’s hard-on for Jackson was a faith-based vengeance grab every bit as blind and desperate as George Bush’s “case” against Saddam Hussein…
Jackson, of course, was acquitted of all charges in 2005 after two grueling years of investigations, testimony and proceedings. Four years later, in 2009, after years of living as a cultural pariah, a vagabond drifting from country to country, he died at the age of fifty in Los Angeles. The silver lining, one assumed, was that at least his many troubles would end and the focus could return to his rich artistic legacy. But as long as big money is involved, it seems, the relentless stream of grifters will continue.
And in the court of public opinion, the Michael Jackson witch trial goes on.
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