Four siblings who once publicly defended Michael Jackson are now accusing the late pop icon of horrific abuse, filing a lawsuit that alleges they were trafficked as children during the 1990s.
Edward, Dominic, and Aldo Cascio, along with their sister Marie-Nicole Porte, filed the lawsuit in California federal court on February 27. The complaint claims that Jackson’s companies and employees helped facilitate and conceal years of alleged abuse.
According to the filing, the siblings say Jackson was “a serial child predator” who allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted them over the course of more than a decade, beginning when some of them were as young as seven or eight.
The lawsuit accuses Jackson’s businesses and estate of child trafficking, negligence, fraud, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The siblings are seeking financial compensation and also want a court to invalidate an agreement they claim prevented them from speaking publicly about the alleged abuse.
The family says the document was presented to them as a “life rights” agreement but in reality protected Jackson’s estate from legal liability.
Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, had a long relationship with the Cascio family. According to the lawsuit, the siblings met the singer through their father, who worked at a hotel Jackson frequently visited. Over time, the singer became close to the family, spending holidays with them and staying in their home.
The lawsuit claims Jackson allegedly groomed the children individually without their parents’ knowledge, giving them gifts, arranging trips, and bringing them along during his Dangerous and HIStory world tours.
The siblings also allege that Jackson provided them with alcohol and drugs—including marijuana, Xanax, Vicodin, and other substances—while cultivating their trust.
Their attorney, Howard King, said the siblings decided to come forward despite pressure from the Jackson estate.
“Ignoring threats from the Michael Jackson Estate of financial ruin… the Cascios have elected to remain silent no longer,” King said in a statement. He added that they hope the lawsuit encourages other victims or witnesses to speak out.
The claims come years after the release of the controversial HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which reignited public debate about allegations against the pop star.
Representatives for Jackson’s estate strongly deny the accusations. Attorney Marty Singer described the lawsuit as a “desperate money grab,” claiming the Cascio family had defended Jackson for decades and is now attempting to extract massive financial settlements.
Singer also said members of the family previously received payments totaling millions of dollars from the estate in exchange for agreements related to protecting Jackson’s legacy and ongoing projects.
The legal battle is expected to focus in part on whether the agreements signed by the family can be enforced or overturned in court.
With both sides making starkly different claims, the lawsuit adds yet another chapter to the long-running and deeply controversial debate surrounding Michael Jackson’s legacy.
