Michael Jackson's so-called 'second family' has made explosive sexual abuse allegations, nearly two decades after his death. Meet the Cascio siblings at the centre of it all.
It may have been nearly two decades since Michael Jackson left the mortal realm, but the controversy surrounding his name continues to grab headlines to this day. As the King of Pop's biopic, essayed by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, earns praises for the uncanny resemblance, the late star's "second family" has come up with shocking allegations.
Yes, we are talking about the Cascio family, one of the most prominent defenders of Michael's name, once considered part of his inner circle. The family that publicly defended Michael Jackson's image for decades, calling him one of the most valued people in their lives, has now exposed alleged years of "grooming" and "sexual abuse", labelling the late star as a "serial child predator".
During recent interviews with various outlets, four of the five Cascio siblings, including Aldo, Eddie, Dominic, and Marie Nicole, opened up about their alleged years of grooming at the hands of Michael Jackson and abuse at the hands of his estate. Now adults, the siblings say they were conditioned to defend Jackson publicly for years, even after he died in 2009. They say Michael made them his "soldiers" to clear his name from the numerous rumours around his controversial involvement with minors.
Speaking to the Times, all five siblings said they were not only abused but also "groomed" to act as Jackson's "soldiers" who defended him against allegations. To note, the Cascio siblings had publicly denied any wrongdoing on the pop star's part in various interviews, including a popular appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, where they repeatedly claimed that Michael never harmed them or any other child.
In a nationally televised interview from 2010, where Oprah directly asked the siblings, Eddie, Frank, and Marie Nicole, whether there were any "improprieties" with MJ, all three had said in unison, "Never, never!" At that time, Eddie Cascio had defended the pop superstar, saying the allegations making the rounds against him were "ridiculous" and that he was just being targeted. Eddie added:
"Michael couldn’t, he couldn’t harm a fly. I mean, he’s such a kind and gentle soul."
But now, after almost two decades, their new claims strongly completely contradict whatever the family has narrated over the years. In a lawsuit filed on February 27, 2026, at the Federal court in Los Angeles, the plaintiffs, Frank, Dominic, Aldo, and Marie-Nicole Cascio, accused the Thriller icon of child sex trafficking, sexual assault, and grooming.
The siblings allege that the late star groomed them for more than a decade, during which he molested each of them, while also exposing them to alcohol, substances, and explicit material. The lawsuit states:
"Michael Jackson was a serial child predator who, over the course of more than a decade, drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted each of the Plaintiffs, beginning when some of them were as young as seven or eight."
The lawsuit further alleged that the siblings' encounters with Michael took place over a long stretch of time across multiple international locations, including the iconic Neverland Ranch, as well as the Cascio family's New Jersey home. It also alleges that people within Jackson’s inner circle enabled the behaviour. The lawsuit claims:
Jackson’s attacks on these siblings went on for extended periods, including in locations around the world and when Jackson and his children were guests in Plaintiffs' family home. Jackson groomed and brainwashed each Plaintiff, without the knowledge of the others or their parents, throughout their childhood years."
The Cascio family’s lawsuit is primarily seeking significant financial compensation from Michael Jackson’s estate. According to reports, the plaintiffs are asking for damages that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, tied to the alleged abuse and its long-term emotional and psychological impact.
The Cascio siblings, Frank, Eddie, Dominic Jr., Aldo, and Marie-Nicole Porte (Cascio), were once considered Michael's second family. The siblings grew up in New Jersey and first met the icon through their father, Dominic, who worked at the Helmsley Palace Hotel in Manhattan where MJ often stayed during the 1980s. Beginning with a simple friendship, their bond quickly turned into something much deeper. Jackson often spent holidays with the family, visited their home, and even took the children on trips around the world.
Over time, the Cascio siblings became a constant presence in Michael's life, often seen traveling with him and spending much of their time at Neverland Ranch. Eventually, the eldest sibling, Frank Cascio, developed a close friendship with the King of Pop and served as his long-time assistance. In 2011, Frank gave one of the most detailed insider accounts of Michael's private life in memoir, My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship with an Extraordinary Man. Frank has loudly expressed his admiration of the late superstar and became his voice to portray Michael as deeply caring and largely misunderstood peoson. Notably, Frank has not taken any part in his siblings' lawsuit.
For years, the rest of the family also publicly defended Jackson, even during his most controversial moments. The second sibling, Eddie 'Angel' Cascio, grew uo to work in music productions and was involved in various of Michael's projects. Yh The other three, Dominic Jr., Aldo, and Marie-Nicole Cascio, were also part of the singer's close circles and often accompanied him on tours.
Jackson Estate, has firmly denied the new allegations from the Cascio family. Attorney Martin Singer, representing the estate, has dismissed the lawsuit as a "desperate money grab," arguing that members of the extended Cascio family had defended Michael Jackson for over 25 years and consistently supported his innocence. Singer said:
"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."
The timing of the lawsuit is already raising eyebrows, just as Michael, the highly anticipated biopic about Jackson’s life, opened in global theaters on April 24, 2026. The film, which focuses on his rise to global fame, has already faced criticism for not fully addressing the long-standing abuse allegations that followed him during Michael Jackson's lifetime.
Share with us your thoughts on the contrasting new allegations from the Cascio siblings' side over Michael Jackson's alleged years of sexual abuse.
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