Cascio Siblings Break Silence on Allegations Behind Their Lawsuit Against Michael Jackson’s Estate

The siblings who spent decades inside Michael Jackson’s inner circle are now publicly explaining why they allege he abused them. In a New York Times interview published this month, four of the five Cascio siblings suing Jackson’s estate for sexual assault described grooming and assaults they say happened when they were children. Their statements mark a stark reversal from the years they spent defending the singer against other accusers.

The Cascios, based in New Jersey, first connected with Jackson in the mid-1990s. They became so close that Jackson referred to them as his “second family.” Dominic, Eddie, Marie-Nicole, and Aldo Cascio each told the Times that Jackson built trust with their parents, isolated them, and initiated sexual contact in multiple locations, including his home and during tour stops. Eddie Cascio said, “We were brainwashed, we were groomed. I felt like he took my manhood away.”

The lawsuit, filed quietly last year, is still winding through court. The estate has moved to dismiss it, arguing the siblings previously supported Jackson and now contradict earlier sworn testimony. But the interview gives the allegations a new public layer, as the family walks through why they stayed silent and why they now believe their loyalty was manipulated.

The timing adds tension to a period of renewed focus on Jackson’s legacy. A biopic, Michael, is scheduled for release this year, and the estate continues to treat posthumous accusers as financially motivated. The Cascio case is harder to dismiss through that lens, because the siblings had no prior record of demanding payment. Their history with Jackson was intimate and extensively documented. The interview does not prove the case, but it puts firsthand detail on a record that so far the estate has tried to keep sealed.

The legal battle will play out over months. For now, the family’s decision to speak directly—and to name what they say happened—introduces a dimension that even Jackson’s most committed defenders cannot simply ignore.