With Michael in cinemas now, a group of siblings who filed a lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s estate on allegations of child sex abuse and trafficking are sharing new details of their claims against the late pop star. Brothers Edward, Dominic, and Aldo Cascio alongside their sister Marie-Nicole Porte were once described as Jackson’s “second family”, having met the singer as children through their father who worked at a hotel the singer stayed at. Although they previously defended Jackson over prior allegations, they have since spoken out and claimed they were “groomed and brainwashed”. In light of the Michael biopic hitting theatres, the siblings spoke to the New York Times, with Eddie claiming that the singer abused them for years while teaching them to defend him against the allegations. The Cascios told the outlet that their goals are about more than money – they’re about “telling the truth about Mr Jackson” to the world. Two months prior to the interview, the four siblings filed a lawsuit against the Jackson estate, whose lawyers have denied the accusations. The complaint outlines a series of serious allegations that are now being revisited in light of the renewed attention. Allegations of abuse that went on for years The lawsuit claims that Michael Jackson was a “serial child predator” who sexually assaulted and raped each of the siblings over a period of more than a decade, starting when some of them were just seven or eight years old. Four of the five siblings in a family that was close to Michael Jackson now say in a lawsuit and in an interview that, though they had denied it in the past, Jackson repeatedly sexually assaulted each of them. https://t.co/NzANehF8Ru — New York Times Music (@nytimesmusic) April 27, 2026 Jackson is accused of attacking them for extended periods of time in locations around the world, including when the singer stayed at their family home for months following the 9/11 attacks. Among the abuse allegations are that Jackson raped and molested Edward on interstate and international trips, including during stops on the Dangerous World Tour, at Elizabeth Taylor’s house in Switzerland, at Elton John’s home in the UK, and at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. The singer’s also accused of raping and molesting Dominic, Aldo, and Marie-Nicole on separate instances, including during trips, the HIStory World Tour, at Neverland Ranch, and at the Cascio family’s home, among other locations. According to the lawsuit, Jackson gained their sympathy by “complaining about his own childhood and telling them repeatedly that he lacked a bond with his own family and that they were his true family.” He would also allegedly give them lavish presents and access to his celebrity lifestyle, descriptions similar to those made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. The Cascio siblings claim that it wasn’t until they watched the docu-series that they were “deprogrammed”, as it “forced them, for the first time, to become conscious of the reality: Jackson’s abuse was wrong and had severely damaged them.” The siblings claim drugs and alcohol were used to control them Credit: HBO Michael Jackson is also accused of plying the Cascio children with drugs and alcohol and showing them pornography to “normalise the abuse and desensitise them.” He allegedly would use “child-friendly language” to appeal to them and conceal the assaults, as well as the drug and alcohol use from others. The lawsuit states, “‘Can I have a meeting,’ ‘Yogi Tea,’ ‘Neverland,’ and ‘Go to Disneyland’ were his code words for encouraging the children to engage in extreme sex acts with him. “Those acts were as bad as, if not worse than, anything that can be described or imagined. He called wine ‘Jesus Juice’ and hard liquor ‘Disney Juice.’ “He associated alcohol with playing, including by encouraging plaintiffs to drink with him while they were in the basement of his Neverland Ranch game room, which he called the ‘Wine Cellar’.” Michael Jackson associates accused of being ‘enablers’ Credit: HBO The lawsuit also alleges that members of Jackson’s inner circle helped facilitate and conceal the abuse. Several defendants are named, including estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain, as well as companies linked to Jackson’s business operations. According to the filing, staff and associates are accused of arranging travel, supplying alcohol and drugs, and facilitating the children being left alone with Jackson, while also helping to cover up the alleged abuse. The complaint further claims that employees, including security, household staff and advisors, were aware of what was happening but failed to intervene. In one instance, a Cascio parent accompanied one of the children on a trip with Jackson, during which members of the Jackson organisation are accused of “intentionally” booking a room far away from the singer’s. His associates also allegedly “procured expensive gifts” as part of his grooming and “installed security systems at Neverland designed to prevent outsiders from discovering Jackson’s crimes.” The Cascio family claim they were silenced for years Credit: HBO The lawsuit also claims the siblings were prevented from speaking out for years due to a combination of fear, manipulation, and financial pressure. According to the filing, they were led to believe their lives – and those of their family – would be “destroyed” if the alleged abuse became public. It further alleges that, after Jackson’s death, representatives connected to the estate encouraged them to sign a legal agreement presented as a form of compensation, but which they claim also restricted what they could say publicly. The siblings now argue they were misled about the nature of the deal and discouraged from seeking independent legal advice. “After Leaving Neverland was released, the Jackson Estate and its lawyers and investigator used fraudulent misrepresentations, undue influence, and false promises to prevent plaintiffs from revealing their abuse and seeking justice, until now,” it says. Has the Jackson estate responded? Credit: HBO Michael Jackson repeatedly denied the allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime, which is the same for his estate following his death in 2009. Amid the Cascio’s lawsuit, the estate’s attorney Martin Singer said in a statement, “This lawsuit is a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family. “The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct. “This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies. The Cascios spent decades defending and affirming Michael’s innocence. “Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael’s death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation. Sadly, in death just as in life, Michael’s talents and success continue to make him a target.” Film Shrine has reached out to the Jackson estate’s representatives for comment. Featured image credit: J P Yim/Zuma Wire/Shutterstock Post navigation Next story
