Billboard.com
A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought by four members of Michael Jackson’s former inner circle will not proceed in open court, sending the dispute into private arbitration instead.
Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio filed suit earlier this year, alleging that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children over an extended period. The siblings had long been close to the singer and were once described as part of his “second family.” Their allegations represent a dramatic 360 from statements they made publicly in previous years defending Jackson.
Judge Hernán D. Vera ruled Wednesday that the case is governed by a 2019 agreement between the Cascio family and Jackson’s estate. That deal followed the family’s decision to raise abuse allegations after the release of the documentary” Leaving Neverland.” The estate agreed to pay $3.5 million without acknowledging wrongdoing.
The siblings have since argued that the agreement should not be enforced, claiming they were pressured into accepting it. Vera did not dismiss those concerns outright, but determined that questions surrounding the validity of the settlement must be considered by an arbitrator rather than a jury.
The family’s attorney, Howard King, expressed disappointment with the decision, saying the siblings had wanted their allegations examined in a public trial.
The estate has consistently rejected the Cascio allegations and has questioned the credibility of the family’s later accounts, noting their earlier public support for Jackson. In previous interviews and writing, members of the family characterized Jackson’s relationship with children as innocent.
The ruling follows a similar decision in California involving the siblings’ brother Frank, whose separate sexual assault claims were also directed toward arbitration under the same settlement.
Jackson, who died in 2009, was acquitted at his 2005 criminal trial and was never convicted of child sexual abuse.
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