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Allegations against Michael Jackson have resurfaced as siblings claim the late singer “groomed” them to act as his “soldiers” amid longstanding sexual abuse accusations.
Four of the five Cascio siblings—Aldo, Eddie, Dominic, and Marie Nicole—recounted their complex relationship with the Beat It singer in an April 24 interview with The New York Times, including allegations of childhood sexual abuse and their ongoing lawsuit against his estate.
The siblings claimed they were both victims and “soldiers” for Michael Jackson, defending him publicly for years even after his death, including in a widely noted appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
“We were brainwashed, we were groomed,” Eddie told the outlet, claiming that Jackson, “the biggest star in the world,” had taught him and his siblings to support him when the topic of the allegations against him arose.
“He made us feel like he was everything: a friend, father, like every sort of emotional support,” Eddie shared, adding, “And he was.”
The Cascio siblings first met Michael Jackson through their father, a Manhattan hotel manager, with their relationship later extending to visits to Neverland Ranch, sometimes without parental supervision.
Frank Cascio, the only sibling not involved in the lawsuit, previously wrote in his 2011 book that Jackson never behaved inappropriately toward him or his siblings, recalling how they eagerly greeted the singer during his visits.
After watching the documentary, the siblings were “deprogrammed,” according to the lawsuit, and later settled with Michael Jackson’s estate in 2020 for about $16 million paid over five years, with talks for further compensation now ongoing after payments ended in 2025.
Their comments came as the biopic Michael was released in theatres.
