Four siblings who claim they were abused by Michael Jackson have had their child sex trafficking lawsuit against the King of Pop’s estate moved to private arbitration. On August 12, 2026, Judge Hernán D. Vera ruled that under the terms of a 2019 settlement between the family and the Jackson estate, all related disputes must be handled in confidential arbitration rather than public court.
Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio grew up with Jackson and referred to themselves as his “second family.” In a February lawsuit, they alleged Jackson raped and molested them as children over more than a decade. The Jackson estate denies the claims.
The Cascios first raised allegations in 2019 following the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, claiming the film “deprogrammed” them. The estate paid them a $3.5 million settlement without admitting wrongdoing. The siblings now argue the settlement is void because they were coerced into signing it. Judge Vera ruled their unconscionability arguments must be presented to an arbitrator, not a jury.
Howard King, lawyer for the Cascio siblings, said the family had hoped for a public trial but will now “seek justice from the dark confines of a private conference room.” The Jackson estate previously characterized the claims as a “desperate money grab,” noting the Cascios spent decades defending Jackson’s innocence before changing their position.
Jackson, who died in 2009, was never convicted of child sex abuse. He settled a civil claim in 1994 without admitting wrongdoing and was acquitted at criminal trial in 2005. The estate continues to deny all abuse allegations and has litigated against the documentary Leaving Neverland, which featured claims from Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
Source: Billboard
