April 24, 2026Updated April 26, 2026, 10:46 a.m. ET
A group of siblings who filed suit against Michael Jackson’s estate on allegations of child sex trafficking are sharing new details of their abuse claims against the late pop icon.
In an interview with The New York Times published April 24, Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio, along with sister Marie-Nicole Porte, opened up about the alleged sexual abuse they suffered as children amid their close relationship with Jackson. The Cascios reportedly befriended the singer after their father, Manhattan hotel manager Dominic Cascio Sr., met Jackson in the 1980s.
According to the siblings’ February lawsuit, filed in California federal court, Jackson’s employees facilitated and concealed his alleged abuse and pressured the Cascios to sign an agreement that prevents them “from talking about the years of abuse they endured” under false pretenses.
In addition to child sex trafficking, the complaint alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract and fraud. It seeks monetary compensation as well as a determination that the signed agreement can be voided.
The Cascios, who were often referred to as the singer’s “second family,” previously denied allegations of Jackson’s sexual misconduct, including in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Now they say that was a lie. “We were brainwashed, we were groomed,” Edward Cascio told The New York Times. He says he and his siblings were “taught” by Jackson to defend him against abuse allegations.
Marty Singer, an attorney for Jackson’s estate, dismissed the Cascios’ claims in a statement to the outlet: “The Cascios are the epitome of unreliable sources. Their stories have repeatedly shifted and changed to suit whatever their current agenda happens to be.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the Jackson estate for comment.
The Cascios’ remarks come as “Michael,” a biopic on the pop superstar’s illustrious career, hits theaters. The film notably does not address Jackson’s legal troubles or accusations of sexual abuse.
Cascio siblings recall Michael Jackson’s alleged abuse
In their interview with The New York Times, the Cascio siblings detailed Jackson’s alleged sexual abuse.
Porte, now 37, told the outlet she was 12 years old when the singer abused her inside their family home, where he allegedly stayed for months following the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. She told the Times that Jackson would sometimes masturbate while looking at her naked.
Dominic Cascio, 39, said his alleged sexual relationship with the “King of Pop” began during a trip to Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris) when he was about 8 years old and said they would lie nude in bed together. Later encounters included Jackson masturbating, Dominic said.
Edward Cascio said his alleged sexual encounters with the singer extended into adulthood. “I felt like he took my manhood away,” Edward, now 43, said.
When contacted by USA TODAY, their attorney reiterated the statements.
The February lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY, describes Jackson as a “serial child predator who, over the course of more than a decade, drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted” the Cascios.
The lawsuit also says they met with the Jackson estate about their claims in 2019 and were then offered “five annual payments of approximately $690,000” in exchange for signing an “acquisition and consulting agreement.” The negotiations allegedly took place after the release of the bombshell HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.”
The siblings’ other brother Frank Cascio, who wrote the 2011 memoir “My Friend Michael,” told The New York Times that he was also sexually abused, but because of his involvement in an arbitration proceeding over the original agreement, he’s not allowed to join his siblings’ federal lawsuit.
Jackson estate attorney Marty Singer, who previously called the lawsuit a “desperate money grab,” said all of the Cascio siblings were involved in the arbitration case. He claimed their recent complaint is an attempt to avoid settling their disputes under the previous agreement.
Per The New York Times, the Jackson estate plans to request for the lawsuit to be dismissed or placed on hold while arbitration continues.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
