Four adult siblings have filed a lawsuit against the estate of Michael Jackson, accusing the late pop icon of child sex trafficking and long-term abuse when they were minors.
In a complaint filed Feb. 27, siblings Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio allege that Jackson groomed and manipulated them over the course of more than a decade. The 23-page lawsuit claims he used his fame, wealth and inner circle of employees to gain their family’s trust before isolating them, exposing them to drugs and alcohol and sexually abusing them in multiple locations around the world.
Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, is described in the suit as someone who began abusing some of the siblings when they were as young as 7 or 8 years old.
According to the filing, the Cascio family first met Jackson in 1984 when their father, Dominic Cascio, worked as a manager at the Helmsley Palace hotel in New York, where the singer frequently stayed. Over time, the family says they grew close to Jackson, who visited their home and bonded with the children.
The lawsuit alleges that after gaining the family’s trust through gifts, attention and affection, Jackson began separating the children from other adults and abusing them individually. The siblings claim the alleged abuse occurred over extended periods and in numerous locations, including at Neverland Ranch in California, during international tours, at their New Jersey home and at residences connected to other celebrities.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Aldo Cascio, now 35, described alleged abuse that he says began when he was 7 years old. He claimed Jackson told him their interactions were an expression of love and warned him not to tell anyone.
“He would train me to say no to any authority and the police,” Aldo alleged, saying Jackson made him feel responsible for protecting him.
Aldo also claimed Jackson gave him Xanax and drank heavily, describing what he says was a darker side of the star.
Marie-Nicole Cascio told the outlet that Jackson stayed with the family for several months after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and that he began abusing her during that time. She alleged he normalized nudity and instructed her to remove her clothes.
Edward and Dominic Cascio also allege abuse in multiple states and countries, including New York, Florida, France and South Africa, as well as during stops on Jackson’s world tours.
The Jackson estate strongly denies the allegations.
In a statement, attorney Marty Singer, who represents the estate, called the lawsuit a “desperate money grab.” He pointed out that members of the Cascio family publicly defended Jackson for decades, including in interviews and in a 2011 book by their brother Frank Cascio.
Singer said those previous statements contradict the current allegations and accused the family of attempting to secure large financial settlements from the estate.
The lawsuit was filed one month after the siblings appeared in a Beverly Hills courtroom over what they described as an unlawful agreement intended to silence alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for early March.
Aldo said the alleged abuse left him struggling for years. When Jackson died in 2009, he said he felt a complicated mix of emotions, including relief.
“I also had to act sad,” he recalled. “Why did he do this to me? I hated him and knew I couldn’t free myself of it. I had to live my whole life alone with this.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, you can text STRENGTH to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Support is confidential and available 24/7.
Well I guess he’s not available to rebuke these accusations. Why so long?
Ridiculous. Why now? The man is dead. It’s not like he can defend himself. And reports stated he died pretty much broke, that the payouts for the legal battles he had drained him a lot of the money he used to have, and what was left to care for his children. Neverland had been abandoned. I don’t know what kind of royalties (etc) his estate might still earn from his music and other musical ventures however I’m sure those went to maintaining care for the kids once he was gone, too. I would also think the statue of limitations would apply — he’s been gone something like 15 years, right? It’s takes a certain kind of person to go after someone who is dead, and was found innocent of prior charges of abuse.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is some kind of ploy in connection to the Epstein case. There’s been a lot of info coming out lately that point to the possibility that MJ’s death was potentially to shut him up – permanently – because he was going to talk about what he knew about Hollywood, Epstein and child entertainers and the abuse/mistreatment that occurred.