Michael Jackson accused of child sex trafficking in new lawsuit
#Michael Jackson#Child Sex Trafficking#Cascio Siblings#Leaving Neverland#Jackson Estate#Sexual Abuse#Brainwashing#Lawsuit
📌 Key Takeaways
Four siblings filed a lawsuit against Michael Jackson's estate accusing him of being a 'serial child predator'
The lawsuit claims Jackson drugged, raped and sexually assaulted the plaintiffs when they were as young as seven years old
The plaintiffs claim they were 'brainwashed' by Jackson and only realized the abuse was wrong after the documentary 'Leaving Neverland' in 2019
The Jackson estate's attorney dismissed the lawsuit as a 'desperate money grab' and pointed to previous statements by the plaintiffs defending Jackson
The plaintiffs claim they accepted a $690,000 settlement in 2019 without being allowed legal review
📖 Full Retelling
Four siblings—Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio and their sister Marie-Nicole Porte—filed a bombshell lawsuit in California on February 27, 2026, accusing the late pop star Michael Jackson of being a 'serial child predator' who drugged, raped and sexually assaulted them over more than a decade when they were as young as seven or eight years old. According to the U.S. District Court complaint, the plaintiffs met Jackson through their father who worked at a hotel that the pop star frequently visited, naming The Michael Jackson Company and associated entities as defendants. Plaintiffs' attorney Howard King wrote that his clients 'reject the Jackson Estate's morally bankrupt efforts to control and silence them' and brought the action 'to hold the Michael Jackson Estate, its affiliates and the persons who control or work on their behalf, accountable for Jackson's conduct and their own wrongdoing.' Martin Singer, the veteran entertainment industry attorney representing the Jackson estate, dismissed the lawsuit as a 'desperate money grab' and 'transparent forum-shopping tactic' aimed at obtaining 'hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael's estate and companies,' pointing to previous statements by the plaintiffs defending Jackson. The lawsuit alleges that 'Jackson's years of brainwashing prevented Plaintiffs from seeking help when he was alive and for years afterward,' claiming it wasn't until the 2019 documentary 'Leaving Neverland' that the siblings were 'deprogrammed' and forced 'for the first time, to become conscious of the reality' that 'Jackson's abuse was wrong and had severely damaged them.' The plaintiffs claim they accepted a $690,000 settlement in 2019 without being allowed legal review, with Singer noting these 'shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael's death.'
🏷️ Themes
Child Abuse, Celebrity Legal Cases, Estate Litigation, Memory and Trauma
Leaving Neverland is a 2019 documentary television film directed and produced by Dan Reed. The documentary focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the American singer Michael Jackson.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festiva...
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his musical achievements broke Am...
Michael Jackson accused of child sex trafficking in new lawsuit Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio and their sister Marie-Nicole Porte called Jackson a "serial child predator." Michael Jackson in Santa Maria, Calif., in 2005. Jackson in 2005 was found not guilty of all charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. Kevork Djansezian - Pool / Getty Images Share Add NBC News to Google March 4, 2026, 4:28 PM EST By David K. Li Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 Four siblings who were long-time friends of Michael Jackson are accusing the late pop star of being a "serial child predator" who preyed upon then when they were as young as "seven or eight" years old in a new bombshell lawsuit filed last week in California. Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio and their sister Marie-Nicole Porte called Jackson a "serial child predator" who "over the course of more than a decade drugged, raped and sexually assaulted each of the plaintiffs," according to their U.S. District Court complaint. The plaintiffs met Jackson through their father who worked at a hotel that Jackson often stayed, the lawsuit said. The Michael Jackson Company and individuals associated with the estate, trust and production companies attached to the late entertainer were named as defendants. "Plaintiffs reject the Jackson Estate's morally bankrupt efforts to control and silence them," plaintiffs' attorney Howard King wrote in the federal lawsuit filed on Feb. 27. "Plaintiffs bring this action to hold the Michael Jackson Estate, its affiliates and the persons who control or work on their behalf, accountable for Jackson's conduct and their own wrongdoing." Veteran entertainment industry attorney Martin Singer, representing the Jackson estate, called the lawsuit a "desperate money grab." "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," Singer said in statement. Si...