Wade Robson’s truth: Worth the risk. But will Hollywood listen?

Wade Robson has everything to lose: his career in Hollywood, his family, friends he has had in the industry since he was a child. He is opening himself up to criticism, accusations of “greed” and an onslaught of hate mail from Michael Jackson fans worldwide (and he will get it, because they have come after me with THOUSANDS of emails in the past).

Robson has realized that the truth is far more important: He was molested by Michael Jackson, and he will no longer live in silence for the sake of his son.

He’s speaking out about a problem that has plagued Hollywood for decades. Remember: Hollywood is the only place where a man like Gore Vidal can get away with calling Roman Polanski’s rape victim a “little hooker”, and where the “Hollywood elite” such as Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, Mike Nichols, Neil Jordan, Diane von Furstenberg, and Harvey Weinstein can rally behind a convicted child-molesting director.

Hollywood is also the place where both Corey Feldman and Todd Bridges have said that child sex abuse is “rampant” in the industry. Corey Haim’s drug abuse and death has been blamed on sexual abuse he suffered as a Hollywood child star.

I had never heard Robson speak before I was asked to be an expert for the Today Show piece with him this morning. I was asked if a victim’s coming forward later (after denying or not understanding abuse) was a common trend. Unfortunately, it is, especially when the abuser is a well-loved figure—a priest, a teacher, or Michael Jackson. Victims are carefully groomed to love their abuser. They are told that the abuse IS love. They defend their abuser.

And then one day, everything changes. For Robson, it was the birth of his son.

Watching him speak on the show today was heart-wrenching. I felt at times that those were my words coming out of his mouth. Robson was groomed, just like I was and just like thousands of victims across the globe. But now, Robson is strong. He is eloquent. He is speaking his truth.

Hopefully, other Hollywood children—children who were scared into silence by the Michael Jackson machine, children who were threatened by their parents to stay silent, children who were just to ashamed to talk about what happened to them, children who stayed silent because they were the “breadwinners” in the family—will open up, come forward and find healing.

It’s not about the money. It’s never about the money. It’s about finally getting justice for the small child inside of every adult victim.

My only regret is not meeting Robson in person. Hopefully, I will be able to do that.