The long-running sexual abuse lawsuit brought by Wade Robson and James Safechuck against companies associated with Michael Jackson will not reach a courtroom until 2028, following a California judge’s decision to postpone the trial once again.
During a hearing on Friday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael E. Whitaker approved a new trial date of Feb. 14, 2028, extending a legal battle that has already stretched across more than a decade. The lawsuit, which centers on allegations that Jackson sexually abused Robson and Safechuck when they were children, was previously scheduled to go before a jury in October 2027.
The delay comes after attorneys for both sides agreed to waive procedural deadlines that would have otherwise required the case to move forward sooner. Lawyers cited ongoing discovery issues, including scheduling conflicts related to depositions and limited availability from the court-appointed discovery referee overseeing portions of the pretrial process.
Although the new date pushes the case further into the future, Judge Whitaker emphasized the importance of keeping the litigation moving. He said the case appeared to be advancing relatively smoothly despite its complexity and ordered both parties to return for another status hearing in September to review their progress.
Robson and Safechuck originally filed separate lawsuits in 2013 and 2014 against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, companies associated with Jackson. Their claims accuse the businesses of negligence, breach of duty, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, arguing that company employees helped facilitate and conceal years of alleged abuse.
For years, their lawsuits faced significant legal obstacles and were dismissed at various stages of litigation. However, appellate courts later revived the claims, allowing the litigation to continue. In 2024, Robson and Safechuck secured a major victory when they were permitted to consolidate their lawsuits into a single case.
A key issue in the litigation is whether Jackson’s corporate entities can be held legally responsible for alleged misconduct. An appellate court previously ruled that companies may owe independent duties to protect potential victims, even when those entities are owned and controlled by the individual accused of wrongdoing. That decision allowed the claims against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures to proceed despite years of legal challenges.
Robson, now a choreographer and director, alleges he first met Jackson through a dance competition when he was a young child. According to court filings, he claims the singer began sexually abusing him several years later during visits to Neverland Ranch and other encounters. Safechuck, a writer, actor, and director, says he met Jackson while working on a Pepsi commercial and alleges the abuse began in 1988 when he was 10 years old. He claims the misconduct continued for several years and involved numerous incidents.
The allegations gained renewed public attention in 2019 following the release of Leaving Neverland, the HBO documentary in which both men detailed their accusations against the late pop star. The film reignited global debate over Jackson’s legacy and introduced the claims to a new generation of viewers.
Jackson consistently denied all allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime. Before he died in 2009, he was investigated multiple times by authorities in California. In the early 1990s, prosecutors examined allegations involving a young accuser but ultimately declined to pursue criminal charges after the case was settled and the alleged victim did not testify.
A decade later, Jackson faced a separate criminal prosecution stemming from child molestation allegations. The case culminated in a highly publicized 2005 trial, where a jury acquitted him on all counts.
The upcoming civil trial will not determine Jackson’s criminal liability. Instead, jurors will be asked to consider whether the companies that managed aspects of his professional affairs failed in their duty to protect children and whether those entities bear legal responsibility for the alleged abuse described by Robson and Safechuck.
