New Lawsuit Hits Michael Jackson's Heirs Again

The late pop star, Michael Jackson. (Instagram/@michaeljackson)

JAKARTA - Michael Jackson's heirs are facing another lawsuit. Three brothers from the Cascio family are addressing allegations of child trafficking and sexual abuse against the singer with the nickname King of Pop.

Jackson's latest lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles federal court on Friday, February 27.

The plaintiff accused the singer of "Thriller" of being a systematic child predator. In legal documents, it is stated that Jackson used his wealth and celebrity status to ensnare them from an early age.

They claim to have been injected with illegal drugs, alcohol, and forced to consume pornographic content before finally becoming victims of sexual violence for more than a decade.

"Michael Jackson was a serial child predator who for more than ten years drugged and sexually abused each of the plaintiffs, starting when some of them were seven or eight years old," the lawsuit said, quoted by Rolling Stone, Sunday, March 1.

The Cascio family, who once labeled themselves Jackson's "second family," have now turned their backs after years of defending the star, including when Jackson was acquitted of child molestation at his 2005 trial.

They admitted that the documentary Leaving Neverland (2019) was the main trigger for them to dare to reveal the traumatic experience.

Responding to this legal attack, Michael Jackson's expert heirs' lawyer, Martin Singer, gave a strong defense. He said the lawsuit was nothing more than an attempt at extortion for financial gain.

Singer highlighted the sudden change in the Cascio family's attitude after 25 years of consistently declaring Jackson innocent.

"This family has steadfastly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, testifying that he was innocent of inappropriate behavior," Singer said.

"This new court filing is a tactic to find a transparent forum in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael's wealth and companies," he added.

The legal conflict arose amid preparations for the launch of the biopic film titled "Michael" directed by Antoine Fuqua.

The film, starring Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, had drawn sharp criticism for being too biased and ignoring the testimonies of the victims.

Even though it is scheduled to be released in April, the shadow of the latest legal case from the Cascio family is predicted to be a serious obstacle to the image of the legend in the eyes of the international public.