The Cascio family, once among Michael Jackson's most vocal defenders, filed a $200 million civil lawsuit in federal court in California on Friday alleging the late singer groomed, drugged and sexually abused four of their children over more than a decade.
The complaint says the alleged abuse began when the siblings were as young as seven or eight and occurred at Neverland Ranch, on international tours and at the homes of celebrity friends including Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor, according to reporting by AllHipHop.
Describing alleged methods used to control the children, the lawsuit claims Jackson used coded phrases to summon them, including "Can I have a meeting," "Yogi Tea," "Neverland," and "Go to Disneyland." The suit also alleges he provided alcohol he called "Jesus Juice" and "Disney Juice," and administered marijuana, cocaine, Xanax, Vicodin and Viagra to make the children more compliant.
The complaint alleges Jackson's staff booked parents into separate hotel rooms to hinder discovery of Jackson's time with the children and that employees helped conceal the abuse, the outlet account says.
A lawyer for Jackson's estate disputed the allegations and characterized the suit as a financial ploy. Estate attorney Marty Singer dismissed the claims as a "desperate money grab," and the estate said the Cascios had spent decades attesting to Jackson's innocence.
Pointing to the family's 2010 television appearance, the estate highlighted the siblings' on-camera response to questions about impropriety. Singer noted that during their 2010 Oprah appearance, when asked if there were ever improprieties with Jackson, all three siblings responded in unison, "Never, never," while shaking their heads.
Per Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit seeks to void a confidential settlement the family says they signed in 2019, a deal they describe as roughly $16 million paid over five years that included a clause they say prohibited reporting Jackson to law enforcement or speaking negatively about him. The Cascios say watching HBO's 2019 documentary "Leaving Neverland" helped them process what they call years of abuse and "deprogram" themselves from Jackson's influence.
The plaintiffs allege Jackson showed them pornography and photos of naked children to desensitize them and threatened to destroy their lives and the lives of family members if they disclosed what had occurred, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
The complaint asks for damages that could be tripled under laws that enhance awards for child sexual abuse, and it contends the family was coerced into silence through the settlement. The estate countered that the Cascios are now attempting what it called "forum-shopping tactics" to extract hundreds of millions of dollars.
The filing arrives as the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" opens in theaters and is projected to set box-office records for a music biopic, a juxtaposition that the publication noted between a film celebration and the newly litigated allegations.
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