In a recent interview, the Cascio siblings—who viewed Michael Jackson as family—shared their decision to sue his estate for sexual assault. They described their experiences and the turmoil that kept them silent for so long. Eddie Cascio said, “We were brainwashed, we were groomed.”
The siblings opened up about the alleged abuse that began in their childhoods. Aldo claimed Jackson first abused him at age 7. Marie-Nicole described her first incident at 12, while Dominic said it started at 8 during a trip to Euro Disney. A fifth sibling reported similar experiences but couldn’t join the lawsuit for legal reasons.
After watching the documentary Leaving Neverland in 2019, the Cascio siblings recognized troubling similarities to the stories of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two other men who accused Jackson of abuse. Some siblings noted that the film helped them see their past as abusive rather than supportive. Eddie reflected, “He made us feel like he was everything: a friend, father, like every sort of emotional support. And he was.”
In February, they filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson abused and sexually trafficked them over a decade. The suit contends he provided them with alcohol and drugs, using childlike terms like “Jesus Juice” for wine. It further claims that Jackson’s staff enabled his behavior, unaware of how he intended to use the substances.
Before this lawsuit, the siblings reached an agreement with Jackson’s estate in 2020, receiving around $16 million over five years, with confidentiality ensuring the allegations stayed private. However, when the payments ended in 2025 and they sought more compensation, tensions grew, leading them to make their lawsuit public.
Historically, the Cascio family’s relationship with Jackson began in the 1980s. Dominic Cascio, the family patriarch, met Jackson in Manhattan. Their bond deepened over the years, with Jackson often visiting their home and hosting them at his famed Neverland Ranch. The family previously supported Jackson during his early legal troubles in the 1990s, demonstrating their loyalty.
This complex web of secrecy and fear raises questions about the lasting impacts of such abuse and how many others might still be silenced. According to a 2022 survey by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women and one in six men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. This highlights the importance of speaking out and breaking the silence surrounding abuse, a challenge the Cascios are now bravely facing.
For more information on the impact of sexual violence, you can visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
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