“We were brainwashed,” Eddie Cascio said, reflecting on his family’s complicated relationship with Michael Jackson. The Cascio siblings have filed a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate, claiming they were groomed to defend him from allegations of sexual abuse.
The lawsuit comes after the siblings—Frank, Eddie, Dominic, Marie Nicole, and Aldo Cascio—initially defended Jackson for over 25 years. They met him through their father, Dominic Cascio Sr., who managed the Helmsley Palace in Manhattan. In 2020, they reached a settlement agreement with Jackson’s estate, receiving approximately $16 million.
In their latest filing, the siblings allege that Jackson manipulated them into defending him against child abuse allegations. They assert that this manipulation was a form of grooming and that they felt obligated to protect him.
Marty Singer, representing the Jackson estate, criticized the lawsuit as a “transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies.” Frank Cascio reportedly demands $213 million from the estate.
Jackson’s legacy remains marred by controversy. He faced multiple accusations of child sexual abuse during his life. His biopic only covers events up until 1988 and does not delve into the first allegations made in 2005. As Colman Domingo pointed out, the film leaves out significant moments related to these claims.
In addition to this legal drama, the memory of Jackson’s Pepsi commercial accident in 1984 lingers—a tragic event where he sustained second- and third-degree burns while filming. This incident led to an out-of-court settlement with Pepsi worth $1.5 million.
Howie Mandel shared fond memories of his daughter’s childhood obsession with Jackson. “My daughter—who is now 41—and I were obsessed with Michael Jackson,” he recalled. He even took her to meet him when she was just four years old.
The next steps for both sides are unclear as the Jackson estate plans to request that the lawsuit be dismissed or placed on hold while arbitration continues.
