The singer intoxicated and drugged minors, the plaintiffs claim.
The Casho family has filed a lawsuit against the heirs of American singer Michael Jackson, accusing the late artist of child trafficking for sexual exploitation. Four siblings—Edward, Dominique, Marie-Nicole, and Aldo Casho—claim that the singer ingratiated himself with the family and then gradually isolated them to commit abuse, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Previously, the Casho family were close friends of Michael Jackson and were considered his "second family." The children met the singer through their father, who worked at a hotel where Michael Jackson stayed in the 1980s. The 23-page lawsuit states that Jackson won the family's affection by showering the children with gifts and attention. It notes that they traveled the world together, celebrated holidays, and often spent time at the Casho home in New Jersey, where the singer also visited with his children.
According to the statement, Jackson would intoxicate the children, give them drugs, and show them pornography. He also allegedly used code words like "Neverland" or "Yoga Tea" to entice minors into sexual acts. The plaintiffs claim that the abuse continued for more than ten years. Jackson threatened to "ruin their lives" if anyone found out about what was happening.
They allege that the abuse occurred in various locations. In one of the incidents cited in the lawsuit, it is claimed that Jackson molested Edward twice—at the home of Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor in Switzerland and at the home of British singer Elton John in the UK. Similar incidents, the plaintiffs state, repeatedly occurred during the artist's international tours as well as at his Neverland Valley Ranch estate in Santa Barbara County, California. Additionally, it is claimed that he attempted to rape Marie-Nicole in Bahrain, where he resided in 2005-2006, according to the New York Post.
The plaintiffs also assert that the singer's staff facilitated the concealment of the abuse from the parents: they claim that separate hotel rooms were specifically booked for the parents so they would not see Jackson spending time with their children.
During the 2005 criminal trial, which ended with Jackson's acquittal on charges of child sexual abuse, the Casho family publicly supported the artist. Jackson himself denied his guilt throughout his life.
In 2019, the documentary Leaving Neverland was released, in which two more alleged victims spoke about the abuse they suffered at the singer's estate. At that time, the Casho family decided to make similar accusations, but the dispute was settled. Family members entered into a confidentiality agreement with the singer's heirs, under which they agreed to remain silent in exchange for annual payments of $690,000 to each sibling for five years.
Currently, the plaintiffs are contesting this agreement in court, claiming they were forced to sign it under pressure.
Jackson's heirs' attorney, Martin Singer, dismissed the allegations, calling them "a money-making scheme." He stated that the Casho family "has steadfastly defended Michael Jackson for over 25 years," and characterized the lawsuit as "a scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Jackson's estate fund."
