Aust Wade Robson suffers LA court setback

Australian choreographer Wade Robson has lost his bid to grill representatives of Michael Jackson's estate about graphic sexual acts he alleged the late King of Pop performed on him as a child.

"I think the types of questions we are are asking are appropriate," Robson's lawyer Maryann Marzano told Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mitchell Beckloff during Thursday's hearing.

Marzano wanted to probe the heads of Jackson's estate with questions ranging from whether Jackson put his hands inside Robson's underpants to whether Jackson committed various sexual acts on Robson.

Jackson lawyer Jonathan Steinsapir said his clients have already denied anything sexual took place between Jackson and Robson.

"Now they want us to deny Michael Jackson put his hand on Wade Robson's penis," Steinsapir told judge Beckloff.

"We have denied that."

At the end of the hearing, Marzano agreed to withdraw 11 of the questions, but Robson's lawyers will be allowed to probe Jackson executives about other matters.

Robson, who was a five-year-old dance prodigy in Brisbane when he first met Jackson, had been one of the pop star's biggest supporters.

Robson testified under oath at Jackson's 2005 molestation trial involving another boy in Santa Barbara that Jackson never abused him.

Robson was a key reason for Jackson's acquittal.

However, last year Robson did an about-face and claimed Jackson was a sexual predator who brainwashed him.

Jackson died in 2009 and Robson now wants a slice of the entertainer's estate that's estimated to be worth around $US1.5 billion ($A1.6 billion).

Robson said it wasn't until after Jackson's death and the birth of his own son that he was psychologically and emotionally able to understand that Jackson had sexually abused him.

Robson filed a late claim in the Los Angeles court against the dead singer's estate.

Robson became one of the world's top dance choreographers, winning an Emmy Award for his work on US TV and was hired by acts including Britney Spears and NSYNC.

Robson's lawyers say Robson was so traumatised by Jackson molesting him he could no longer dance, sing or write songs

The matter was adjourned to December 16.