Michael Jackson’s ‘second family’ say they were groomed to protect him, insist they were victims of SA at his hands

Warning: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse. Please read with care. 

The Cascio siblings, once known as Michael Jackson’s self-described second family, have come forward with harrowing allegations, claiming they were groomed to protect the pop star while simultaneously suffering sexual abuse at his hands. The New York Times reported that four of the five Cascio children have filed a lawsuit against the Jackson estate, detailing years of alleged assault. 

This marks a massive shift from their public defense of the singer, most notably during an appearance on a talk show hosted by Oprah Winfrey in December 2010. During that interview, when asked if there were any improprieties in their relationship with Jackson, the siblings responded in unison, “Never.”

The siblings now describe themselves as having been Jackson’s “soldiers,” trained by him to shield him from the sexual abuse accusations that followed him throughout his career. The siblings claim that after watching the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, they began to recognize their own experiences in the stories shared by other accusers. They say it effectively deprogrammed them from the secrecy they had maintained for decades.

They aren’t the first to accuse him

This legal battle is just the latest in a long history of accusations against the late King of Pop. According to a timeline published by Rolling Stone, the first major allegations emerged in the early 1990s when Jordan Chandler accused Jackson of molestation. That case ended in a civil settlement of $22 million in 1994, though Jackson maintained his innocence throughout. 

Later, in 2005, Jackson faced a criminal trial after accusations from Gavin Arvizo, which resulted in an acquittal on all counts. The estate has remained firm in its position, consistently denying all claims of misconduct. Marty Singer, a lawyer for the Jackson estate, has characterized the current lawsuit from the Cascios as a desperate money grab.

The specifics provided by the Cascio siblings in their lawsuit are difficult to process. Aldo Cascio, now 35, described being around 7 years old when he said Jackson began giving him oral sex. He recalled being in bed with the singer while playing a Game Boy, a setting that became a recurring site for abuse. 

Aldo noted that he felt so trapped by the celebrity and the affection shown to him that he reached a point where he believed, “I’m just going to live to die.” Marie Nicole Porte, 37, alleged that the abuse began when she was 12, during a period when Jackson was staying at their family home. Dominic, 39, recounted experiences during a trip to Euro Disney where he was forced to lie nude with the singer.

The siblings had previously reached a private agreement with the estate in 2020, which involved payments totaling roughly $16 million over five years, but these payments ended in 2025 as the family sought additional compensation. The estate claims the siblings are violating the terms of their prior agreement and are now in the midst of a separate arbitration process.

The timing of this lawsuit is also notable given the broader conversation surrounding Jackson’s legacy and the release of Michael.

Michael does not include the various sexual abuse allegations that have trailed Jackson. According to Rolling Stone, an early draft of the script did reference the allegations involving Jordan Chandler, but those scenes were cut to comply with the terms of the settlement reached in that case.

As the Cascio siblings move forward with their federal lawsuit, the estate is working to push the matter into arbitration. The siblings’ lawyers, however, maintain that an arbitration ruling won’t stop their broader federal case. 

It is a messy, painful legal situation that highlights the complex and often dark reality behind the public image of a global superstar. For the Cascios, the goal now seems to be about more than just money, as they attempt to reconcile their past with the reality they say they were forced to hide for so long.