Michael Jackson's Four Cousins Accuse Late Pop Star of Sex Trafficking at Homes of Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor

Four people who spent much of their childhood in Michael Jackson's inner circle have filed a lawsuit in California alleging that the late pop star sexually abused and sex-trafficked them over a span of more than a decade, beginning when some of them were as young as seven or eight years old.

Who Are the Cascio Family? The Plaintiffs Behind the Michael Jackson Lawsuit

The plaintiffs, brothers Edward, Dominic, and Aldo Cascio, along with their sister Marie-Nicole Porte, describe Jackson in the complaint as a 'serial child predator' who systematically groomed them and exploited the trust their family had placed in him. The suit was lodged in a US District Court last week.

The family's connection to Jackson reportedly began through their father, who worked at a hotel the singer regularly visited. That relationship deepened over time, and the plaintiffs allege Jackson used that closeness as cover, plying them with alcohol he nicknamed ‘Jesus Juice’ and ‘Disney Juice,’ and allegedly drugging them to make them easier to control.

Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor's Homes Named in Michael Jackson Abuse Allegations

Among the more startling details in the filing is the claim that Edward ‘Eddie’ Cascio was sexually assaulted at properties belonging to Elton John in the UK and Elizabeth Taylor in Switzerland. Neither the John nor the Taylor estates had commented publicly at the time of filing.

The lawsuit also aims at the Michael Jackson Estate and several associated business entities, arguing they either facilitated or turned a blind eye to the alleged abuse.

Why Did the Cascio Siblings Wait Years to File? The Role of Leaving Neverland

So what took the siblings so long to come forward? Their attorney points to the 2019 documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’, which detailed abuse allegations from two other men who claimed Jackson had targeted them as children. The plaintiffs say watching it was the moment things clicked, that it reframed experiences they had struggled to make sense of for years.

Did the Jackson Estate Pay the Cascio Family $690,000 to Stay Silent?

The filing also raises eyebrows over a 2019 payment. The plaintiffs claim the Jackson Estate offered the family roughly $690,000 around that time in connection with the alleged abuse. They say they signed an agreement but did so without independent legal counsel and without fully grasping what they were agreeing to.

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Jackson Estate Denies Claims, Calls Lawsuit a ‘Money Grab’

Unsurprisingly, the Estate has pushed back hard. Attorney Martin Singer called the lawsuit a money grab, pointing out that members of the Cascio family had previously defended Jackson in public and flatly denied that he ever harmed them.

Michael Jackson's Legal History: The 2005 Acquittal and His Death

It's a contradiction the case will have to reckon with. Jackson himself was acquitted of all counts in a high-profile child molestation trial in 2005. He died four years later, in 2009, from acute propofol intoxication. His personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with his death.

The Michael Jackson Abuse Debate: Why the Controversy Won't Go Away

More than fifteen years on, the arguments over Jackson's legacy, and what he may or may not have done behind closed doors, show no signs of quieting down.

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