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A federal judge has dismissed a child sex trafficking lawsuit filed against Michael Jackson’s estate by four members of the Cascio family.
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The court ruled that the case must be handled through a private legal process under a 2019 settlement agreement.
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The siblings accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children, allegations the estate has denied.
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The ruling does not decide whether the allegations are true, but means the dispute will continue outside a public courtroom.
August 13, (THEWILL) — A federal judge in California has dismissed a child sex trafficking lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s estate, ruling that the dispute must be handled privately.
Judge Hernán D. Vera issued the ruling on Wednesday, August 12, citing a clause in a 2019 settlement agreement that requires disputes between the parties to be handled through a private legal process.
The lawsuit was filed by four siblings, Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio. They accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children and also named his estate and related companies in the case.
The Cascios had a close relationship with Jackson. They met him in the 1990s through their father, Dominic Cascio Sr., who worked at the Helmsley Palace Hotel in Manhattan, where Jackson often stayed.
Jackson later became close to the family and referred to them as his “second family.” The Cascios visited him at Neverland Ranch and travelled with him internationally.
The family also defended Jackson publicly for years. Members appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2010 to maintain their support for the singer.
Their position changed after the release of the 2019 HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.” The siblings later said they had come to believe that Jackson had abused them.
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In their lawsuit, they alleged that the abuse began when some of them were children. They also accused people around Jackson of helping facilitate or cover up the alleged conduct.
Jackson’s estate has denied the allegations.
The case was tied to a 2019 settlement between the family and the estate, reportedly worth $3.5 million. The agreement included a clause requiring disputes to be handled privately.
The siblings argued they were pressured into signing the agreement, while the estate said the lawsuit was an attempt to get around it and pointed to the family’s previous public support for Jackson.
Howard King, the siblings’ lawyer, said the family was disappointed by the ruling and had hoped to have the allegations heard in a public trial.
The decision follows a similar ruling involving Frank Cascio, another member of the family, whose related claims were sent to private arbitration earlier this year.
The case also comes amid controversy surrounding Jackson’s 2026 biopic, “Michael.”
The film originally included material about the abuse allegations, but those parts were later removed after a legal issue tied to an earlier settlement.
The changes led to additional filming that reportedly cost between $10 million and $15 million, with the Jackson estate covering the extra cost.
The allegations were ultimately left out of the final film, which focuses on Jackson’s rise and career.
The latest ruling does not determine whether the allegations are true, but means the dispute will now continue through a private legal process rather than a public trial.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
