The Cassio siblings — who were close to the Jackson family — sued Jackson’s estate, alleging years of sexual abuse and sex trafficking starting in their youth, with allegations of drugging and assault on foreign trips. The estate rejects the accusations, calling the lawsuit a “money grab” and pointing to previous statements from the family in defense of Jackson.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault.Michael Jackson’s former family friends, the Cassio brothers, have filed a lawsuit against his estate, accusing the late singer of sexual assault and sex trafficking.
Prosecutors allege that the abuse began when some of them were as young as seven or eight years old and continued for nearly a decade.
They are suing Michael Jackson’s company and others, claiming they were “drugged, raped and sexually assaulted.”
Michael Jackson sued over sex trafficking allegations
According to TMZ, Edward Cascio, Dominic Cascio, Mary Porte, and Aldo Cascio Jackson are accused of sexually trafficking children by force, fraud or coercion. The lawsuit claims he used gifts, access to his famous lifestyle, and declarations of love to gain their trust.
The siblings allege that he then isolated them from each other and their families before abusing them.The complaint lists alleged incidents during “interstate and international trips” to Switzerland, Florida, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Edward Cassio claims he was abused at Elizabeth Taylor’s home in Switzerland and Elton John’s home in the UK.The siblings also allege Jackson normalized the abuse by showing him “pornography and images of naked children,” which they say he referred to as “sweet.”
They also claim that he was often under the influence of drugs such as Xanax, Vicodin and other drugs.
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Real Estate denies these accusations, and describes the lawsuit as a money grab
Attorney Marty Singer, who represents the estate, strongly denied the allegations in a statement to TMZ. “This lawsuit is a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cassio family who have jumped on the bandwagon with their brother Frank, who has already been sued in arbitration for civil racketeering,” he said.Singer added: “The family has vigorously defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, demonstrating his innocence of inappropriate conduct. This new court filing is a transparent tactic to shop their scheme to extract hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies.”He continued: “The Cascios’ statements, including those that appear in dozens of passages from Frank Cascio’s 2011 book, as well as in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and others, directly contradict what is now alleged.
All the while, the Cassio family consistently and repeatedly maintained that Michael had never harmed any of them or anyone else.The siblings say they previously received $690,000 a year for five years after watching the documentary “Leaving Neverland,” but they now believe that amount was not enough. Their lawyer, Howard King, told TMZ his clients are owed $200 million.Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, assault or abuse, please seek immediate help. Contact a mental health professional, NGO, or trusted person. Many helplines are available to provide assistance.
