On the same day the Michael Jackson biopic premiered in theaters, four siblings who once called the pop star family came forward with sworn allegations that he sexually abused them over more than a decade, beginning when the youngest was seven.
The claims, detailed in a February lawsuit filed in California federal court, allege Jackson drugged, raped and assaulted the Cascio siblings during visits to their homes, international tours and hotel stays, including a 1993 trip to Israel where Eddie Cascio says the abuse started at age 10 after being left alone with Jackson in a Tel Aviv hotel.
The family’s relationship with Jackson began in the 1980s when their father, Dominic Cascio Sr., managed a Manhattan hotel the singer frequented. For years, the Cascio children toured with Jackson, stayed at his properties and publicly defended him against abuse allegations — including in a 2010 Oprah Winfrey interview where they denied any wrongdoing.
Now they say those denials were coerced. “We were brainwashed, we were groomed,” Edward Cascio told The New York Times, describing how Jackson taught them to shield him from scrutiny. Marie-Nicole Porte, now 37, said Jackson abused her at age 12 inside their family home following the September 11 attacks, sometimes masturbating whereas she was naked. Dominic Cascio, 39, recalled lying nude in bed with Jackson during a trip to Euro Disney when he was about eight.
The lawsuit also alleges Jackson’s employees facilitated the abuse and pressured the siblings to sign a non-disclosure agreement under false pretenses — a document they now seek to have voided. In addition to child sex trafficking, the complaint includes claims of negligence, emotional distress, breach of contract and fraud.
Court filings reveal a confidential 2020 settlement in which the estate paid the family approximately $16 million over several years. Payments ended in 2025, and after failed negotiations for additional compensation, the siblings revived their claims, now seeking up to $213 million according to estate representatives.
For more on this story, see Michael Jackson Biopic: Estate’s Campaign to Rehabilitate His Legacy.
The estate’s attorney, Marty Singer, dismissed the allegations as a “desperate money grab,” pointing to the family’s decades-long public defense of Jackson. “They attested to his innocence for more than 25 years,” Singer said. “This is forum-shopping to extract hundreds of millions.”
The timing of the allegations — coinciding with the biopic’s release — has fueled speculation, though the film avoids Jackson’s legal controversies entirely. The Cascio siblings say they only recognized the abuse as traumatic years later, in part after watching the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
Jackson’s estate maintains the claims are inconsistent and financially motivated, citing shifting narratives and the family’s prior loyalty. The siblings counter that their earlier denials were survival mechanisms forged under manipulation, not truth.
As the biopic draws audiences, the lawsuit reopens a long-simmering debate over how fame, power and psychological control can silence victims — even those who once stood closest to the icon.
Why did the Cascio siblings wait so long to speak publicly?
They say they were groomed to defend Jackson and only recognized the abuse as traumatic years later, particularly after viewing the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which mirrored their experiences.
What does the Jackson estate say about the timing of these allegations?
Estate attorneys call the lawsuit a “desperate money grab” and a “transparent forum-shopping tactic,” noting the family defended Jackson for over 25 years before reversing their stance.
Is the biopic addressing the abuse allegations?
No. The film, produced with estate cooperation, focuses on Jackson’s career and does not mention his legal troubles or accusations of sexual misconduct.
What legal claims are included in the lawsuit beyond abuse?
The complaint alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract and fraud, and seeks to void a non-disclosure agreement the siblings say they were pressured to sign.
