The estate of the late singer Michael Jackson is facing new allegations of sexual abuse against the pop star. Four siblings have filed a suit against the singer’s estate, alleging sexual abuse, claiming that the many handlers in Jackson’s entourage ‘willingly enabled it all’. While the suit was filed in February, it gained widespread attention this week as the alleged victims gave an interview to The New York Times, right before the singer’s biopic, Michael, hit the screens.
Fresh sexual abuse claims against Michael Jackson
The four siblings – three brothers and a sister – are from New Jersey, according to the court filings. Their complaint alleges abuse at the hands of Michael Jackson in the 2000s when they travelled with him on concert tours, and even at their own home, which he visited with his own children. According to the complaint, the plaintiffs came into contact with the singer through their father, described as having worked “at a luxury hotel where Jackson frequently stayed.” The complaint states that the children’s parents were unaware of the alleged abuse at the time. The complaint names the Jackson estate, the attorneys who lead it — John Branca and John McClain — and private investigator Herman Weisberg as defendants.
The complaint reads, “Michael Jackson was a serial child predator who, over the course of more than a decade, drugged, raped and sexually assaulted each of the Plaintiffs, beginning when some of them were as young as seven or eight. Jackson’s attacks on these siblings went on for extended periods, including in locations around the world and when Jackson and his children were guests in Plaintiffs’ family home. Jackson groomed and brainwashed each Plaintiff, without the knowledge of the others or their parents, throughout their childhood years.”
Michael Jackson estate calls lawsuit a ‘money grab’
According to Variety, representatives of Michael Jackson’s estate have called the lawsuit a ‘desperate money grab’ and questioned the accusers’ silence for so long. “This lawsuit is a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family. The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct. This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies. The Cascios spent decades defending and affirming Michael’s innocence. Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael’s death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation. Sadly, in death just as in life, Michael’s talents and success continue to make him a target,” said attorney Martin Singer, who represents the estate.
Michael Jackson’s biopic
The attention around the lawsuit comes at the same time as the release of Michael, a biopic of the late singer’s life starring his nephew, Jaafar Jackson. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, has been sanctioned and produced by the estate and the Jackson family. The initial critic reviews have been largely negative, but audience reaction has been positive, leading to a record-breaking box-office start.
