Michael Jackson lawyer calls new sex abuse claim 'outrageous'

Lawyer Howard Weitzman speaks to the media outside of Superior Court in Los Angeles July 6, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Eric Thayer

LOS ANGELES | Wed May 8, 2013 6:40pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The attorney for Michael Jackson's estate on Wednesday described as "outrageous and pathetic" a fresh claim of child molestation against the dead pop star, made by one of his close friends.

Choreographer Wade Robson, who testified in defense of the "Thriller" singer in a 2005 child sex abuse trial, filed a creditor's claim against Jackson's estate last week, alleging he had been abused by the singer when he was a minor, according to sealed legal documents seen by celebrity website TMZ.com.

"Mr. Robson's claim is outrageous and pathetic," Howard Weitzman, the attorney for Jackson's estate, said in a statement.

Robson, 30, developed a friendship with Jackson as a child and slept over at the singer's Neverland Ranch home in Southern California on several occasions when he was a minor.

He made his claim for damages against the singer's estate almost four years after Jackson's June 2009 death. Details of his allegations were not publicly available.

Robson's attorney, Henry Gradstein, accused Jackson of brainwashing and intimidating Robson to keep him from coming forward.

"Last year, on a career trajectory that was off the charts, he (Robson) collapsed under the stress and sexual trauma of what had happened to him for seven years as a child," Gradstein said in a statement on Wednesday.

He added that Robson had no financial motive and did not request a specific amount of damages in his claim.

Jackson was tried and acquitted in 2005 on molestation charges involving another minor. Robson testified at that trial in defense of the singer.

"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," Weitzman said.

Robson, an Australian, worked as a choreographer for pop singer Britney Spears and former boy band 'N Sync in the late 1990s and appeared as a judge on the U.S. TV dance competition "So You Think You Can Dance."

He also appeared as a dancer in Jackson's 1991 music video for the single, "Black or White."

Jackson's estate is in the process of settling dozens of claims from creditors and others who had dealings with the King of Pop during his long career.

An unrelated wrongful death suit, brought by Jackson's family against concert promoter AEG Live, is in its second week of trial in Los Angeles.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)

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Russian court throws out Madonna anti-gay compensation claim

Singer Madonna performs at Staples Center as part of her MDNA world tour in Los Angeles, California October 10, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia | Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:45pm EST

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian court rejected a $10 million compensation claim against U.S. pop star Madonna on Thursday by a group of anti-gay activists who accused her hurting their feelings by promoting homosexuality at a St.Petersburg concert.

Performing in black lingerie with the words "No Fear" scrawled on her back, Madonna attacked a city law adopted in March that imposed fines for spreading homosexual "propaganda". She had earlier called the law a "ridiculous atrocity".

The activists based their case on a video recording where they claimed Madonna could be seen trampling on an Orthodox cross and asking spectators to raise their hands with pink bracelets in support of the gay movement.

Judge Vitaly Barkovsky did not explain his decision but also ruled the activists should compensate legal expenses to companies which organized Madonna's concert. The activists said they will appeal the court ruling.

"Our position is the same. We believe there was a case of the breach of law, namely gay propaganda among minors," said activist Darya Dedova.

Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union, was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but much of the gay community remains underground as prejudice runs deep.

(Reporting by Liza Dobkina; Editing by Jon Hemming)

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Lawsuit dropped, but Bieber baby claim lingers

Canadian singer Justin Bieber arrives on the red carpet for the 63rd Bambi media awards ceremony in Wiesbaden, November 10, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Alex Domanski

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:43pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The woman who claimed teen singer Justin Bieber fathered a baby with her has dropped her paternity lawsuit, but Mariah Yeater's lawyer said on Wednesday she is pursuing her claim out of court.

Yeater, 20, of southern California, had claimed in her lawsuit that she had sex backstage with the 17-year-old Canadian singer last year and that he was the father of her baby who was born in July. She was demanding child support.

Bieber has repeatedly denied the allegation, saying he never met Yeater but said last week he would take a paternity test. Sources close to Bieber said on Wednesday that arrangements were underway for the DNA test to take place soon.

Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving said on Wednesday that Yeater had dropped the lawsuit but had a new legal team and hoped to reach a private settlement with Bieber's lawyers.

"She believes Justin Bieber is the father," Leving told Chicago TV channel WGNtv on Wednesday. "Negotiations are going on right now with Bieber's counsel and we're trying to negotiate a private, secure DNA test with the same safeguards that would exist if there were a court order, but without a court order."

"This matter is not over," Leving said.

It was not clear why the paternity lawsuit was dropped but Leving said Yeater had received death threats and was being harassed by the media.

Bieber's spokesman Matthew Hiltzik called it "sad" that "someone would fabricate such a malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claim. We'll continue to consider all of our options to protect Justin."

The baby claims have threatened to tarnish Bieber's squeaky clean image and left Yeater open to a possible charge of statutory rape because Bieber was only 16 years-old at the time of the alleged encounter.

In her complaint, Yeater claimed the two had sex for 30 seconds in a backstage bathroom after she attended a Bieber concert in Los Angeles in October 2010.

Bieber, has been promoting his new Christmas album in Europe, was silent on Twitter on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Lawsuit dropped, but Bieber baby claim lingers (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The woman who claimed teen singer Justin Bieber fathered a baby with her has dropped her paternity lawsuit, but Mariah Yeater's lawyer said on Wednesday she is pursuing her claim out of court.

Yeater, 20, of southern California, had claimed in her lawsuit that she had sex backstage with the 17-year-old Canadian singer last year and that he was the father of her baby who was born in July. She was demanding child support.

Bieber has repeatedly denied the allegation, saying he never met Yeater but said last week he would take a paternity test. Sources close to Bieber said on Wednesday that arrangements were underway for the DNA test to take place soon.

Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving said on Wednesday that Yeater had dropped the lawsuit but had a new legal team and hoped to reach a private settlement with Bieber's lawyers.

"She believes Justin Bieber is the father," Leving told Chicago TV channel WGNtv on Wednesday. "Negotiations are going on right now with Bieber's counsel and we're trying to negotiate a private, secure DNA test with the same safeguards that would exist if there were a court order, but without a court order."

"This matter is not over," Leving said.

It was not clear why the paternity lawsuit was dropped but Leving said Yeater had received death threats and was being harassed by the media.

Bieber's spokesman Matthew Hiltzik called it "sad" that "someone would fabricate such a malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claim. We'll continue to consider all of our options to protect Justin."

The baby claims have threatened to tarnish Bieber's squeaky clean image and left Yeater open to a possible charge of statutory rape because Bieber was only 16 years-old at the time of the alleged encounter.

In her complaint, Yeater claimed the two had sex for 30 seconds in a backstage bathroom after she attended a Bieber concert in Los Angeles in October 2010.

Bieber, has been promoting his new Christmas album in Europe, was silent on Twitter on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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