The family had previously publicly supported Jackson, even after his death...
Nearly 17 years after Michael Jackson's death, allegations of sexual abuse are resurfacing after previously unpublished photos were released and a class action lawsuit was filed by members of the Cascio family. The photos show the "King of Pop," who died in 2009 at the age of 50, sitting with Dominic Cascio, who appears to be 9 years old in one of the images.
Cascio, now an adult, said the photos evoke strong emotions in him, noting that he sees "fear and confusion" on his face and linking his expression to the trauma he claims he was experiencing at the time.
Dominic Cascio, along with his siblings Edward, Aldo and Marie-Nicole Porte, have filed a lawsuit against Jackson's companies and estate in federal court in Los Angeles. Court documents allege that the singer drugged, raped and sexually abused the plaintiffs when they were children, saying some of them were as young as 7 or 8 years old.
The family had previously publicly supported Jackson, even after his death, stating that nothing inappropriate had happened. However, they now reportedly claim they were deceived and manipulated, with their stance changing after the release of the documentary “Leaving Neverland” in 2019. It was also reported that a multimillion-dollar settlement was reached in 2020.
In the new lawsuit, the family alleges that the singer "brainwashed" them and forced them to sign fraudulent contracts to silence them. Dominic Cascio said he feels sadness and anger when he sees the photos, stressing that as a father he can no longer bear to think that any child could go through similar experiences.
At the same time, it is noted that the brothers, along with Frank Cascio, had filed a similar lawsuit, with a judge ruling last month that the matter should be resolved through arbitration. Jackson's estate lawyer, Marty Singer, said that for decades the Cassio brothers have insisted that the singer never harmed them or anyone else, noting that their current claims contradict their previous public statements.
The Daily Mail reports that lawyers have called the claims "a desperate attempt for financial gain," noting that the plaintiffs themselves have publicly maintained for years that Jackson had not harmed them.
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