TRIGGER WARNING: This article includes references to sexual abuse.Michael Jackson’s estate is pushing back against a sex-trafficking lawsuit filed by four members of the Cascio family, accusing the siblings and their attorney of engaging in what it calls a “shakedown.” The estate has filed a motion to keep the proceedings out of public court, citing a mandatory arbitration clause from a 2020 settlement with the siblings. The four plaintiffs, Edward Cascio, Dominic Cascio, Marie-Nicole Porte, and Aldo Cascio, allege they were sexually abused by Jackson as children.According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, the estate claims the siblings demanded “payment of a staggering $213 million” despite each of them already receiving nearly $700,000 per year as part of the prior settlement.
What Michael Jackson’s estate is alleging
The filing stated that the siblings and their attorney, Howard E. King, made “extortionate threats” that they “would file a bogus public lawsuit containing outlandish accusations against Michael” if they were not paid the additional sum. When the lawsuit was filed, the estate claimed the siblings breached several conditions of the existing agreement, including its “binding and mandatory confidential arbitration provisions. “The estate also points to what it described as a contradiction in the siblings’ position, noting that the Cascios previously referred to the Jacksons as their “second family” and had long defended Jackson against allegations of sexual misconduct, including in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The estate argued their current claims contradict “their prior statements supporting and defending Michael.”Estate attorney Marty Singer addressed the lawsuit in a statement to the publication on March 2, calling it a “desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family who have hopped on the bandwagon with their brother Frank, who is already being sued in arbitration for civil extortion.”
What the Cascio siblings are claiming
The siblings and their attorney have pushed back against the estate’s characterization of events. King called the claims that he and the siblings made “categorically false,” alleging instead that representatives for Jackson’s estate reached out to them around April 2024 to increase the estate’s compensation, at which point their counsel “demanded compensation proportional to Jackson’s crimes and the harm they caused.”The siblings claimed they were “groomed, brainwashed, and severely manipulated” by Jackson, according to their opposition to the estate’s motion. They are seeking both monetary compensation and for the previous agreement to be revoked entirely, arguing they were pressured to sign it under false pretences and that it prevented them “from talking about the years of abuse they endured.” Their attorney argued the agreement was “void and unconscionable.”The case, which was filed in February, remains ongoing as both sides continue to dispute whether the matter should be resolved in private arbitration or public court.DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, assault, or abuse, please seek immediate help. Reach out to a mental health specialist, NGO, or trusted individual. Several helplines are available to offer assistance.The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.
