Siblings Alleging Abuse by Michael Jackson Challenge Arbitration in Beverly Hills Court
Several siblings who allege they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson appeared in a Beverly Hills courtroom on Wednesday to oppose efforts by Jackson’s estate to force their claims into confidential arbitration. The family argues that a prior agreement with the estate was unlawfully designed to silence victims of childhood sexual abuse and should be declared unenforceable.
Frank Cascio and his siblings allege that Jackson groomed, manipulated, and sexually abused them over a period spanning from the late 1980s until his death in 2009. They are seeking to invalidate what they describe as a “purported settlement” entered into with the estate in 2020. The estate contends that the agreement included binding arbitration and confidentiality provisions that bar the siblings from pursuing a public lawsuit.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge declined to issue an immediate ruling on the estate’s petition to compel arbitration.
Representing the estate, attorney Marty Singer told the court that the Cascio family voluntarily entered into an agreement with the estate in January 2020 and later renegotiated its terms for what he described as “significantly more money upfront.” Singer argued that the siblings are now attempting to breach that agreement by filing claims in public court.
Singer also disputed the abuse allegations, telling the court that the estate believes the matter escalated after what he characterized as a $213 million extortion demand made last summer. “We categorically dispute these claims,” Singer said.
The Cascio siblings are represented by attorney Mark Geragos, who forcefully challenged both the validity and enforceability of the alleged settlement. Geragos argued that the agreement was the product of coercion and trauma, and that it contained illegal nondisclosure provisions that violate California law governing sexual abuse claims.
In court filings submitted prior to the hearing, Geragos asserted that the estate took advantage of the siblings during a period of emotional vulnerability. He wrote that the family members were rushed into signing agreements before they had fully processed the scope of the alleged abuse or understood their legal rights. According to the filings, the estate misrepresented the consequences of refusing to sign and pressured the siblings into an unfavorable arrangement.
Geragos told the court that enforcing such agreements runs counter to recent legislative trends aimed at protecting survivors of sexual abuse. He said he believes the court’s tentative inclination toward arbitration was “wrong on the law.”
Following the hearing, Geragos spoke briefly with reporters outside the courtroom, explaining that the siblings traveled from the East Coast to attend in person because they wanted to witness the estate’s legal position firsthand. “They wanted to see for themselves that the estate is essentially calling them liars,” he said, adding that the family intends to appeal if the court ultimately orders arbitration.
The case carries an added layer of complexity because Geragos previously represented Jackson during the pop star’s 2003 criminal investigation into child molestation. Jackson was later acquitted at trial in 2005.
In sworn declarations filed with the court, siblings Aldo and Marie Cascio recounted incidents in which they were allegedly instructed by Jackson to hide when his criminal defense attorneys arrived for meetings. Aldo Cascio wrote that Jackson was “adamant” that certain lawyers not see the children present with him, a directive Aldo says he only later understood as deliberate concealment.
Geragos has also argued that the siblings were subjected to years of psychological manipulation, which reinforced their loyalty to Jackson and delayed their ability to recognize or disclose the alleged abuse. According to court filings, the family began openly discussing their experiences after watching the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which centered on allegations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
Attorney Howard King, who also represents the Cascio family, said after the hearing that he possesses extensive sworn testimony recorded in 2024 in which all five siblings describe the alleged abuse in detail. King said he fears that forcing arbitration would permanently prevent that evidence from becoming public.
Singer declined to comment as he exited the courthouse. The Cascio siblings and their parents also left without making public statements. A follow-up hearing concerning the sealing of court documents is scheduled for March 5.
