Siblings claim Michael Jackson forced them to…
Members of Michael Jackson’s so-called “second family” — who have allegedly threatened to go public with claims of abuse by him — claim in new paperwork that, when they have been children, the singer forced them to “hide” so his lawyer wouldn’t know they have been staying with him.
In court declarations seen by The Post, Frank Cascio, 44, and his siblings Marie-Nicole Porte, 37, and Aldo Cascio, 34, also accuse the late celebrity’s property of coercion, deception and betrayal in making an attempt to quiet their claims. Aldo and Porte refer to their siblings and themselves as having skilled related “abuse” without detailing what that abuse was.
Porte claims that in 2003 and 2004 — the period when Jackson was arrested and indicted on baby molestation prices not involving the household — she and Aldo have been often current at the singer’s residences and resort suites when lawyer Mark Geragos visited to talk about the case. They would have been 15 and 12, respectively, at the time.
Members of Michael Jackson’s so-called “second family” claim in new paperwork that, when they have been children, the singer forced them to “hide” so his lawyer wouldn’t know they have been staying with him. WireImage
“We were told by Michael to hide . . . Michael seemed nervous and very paranoid about the possibility of Mr. Geragos discovering we were there,” Porte says in the court paperwork. “He told us things to the effect of ‘the lawyer cannot know you are here’ and ‘stay in here and do not come out until I say it’s okay.’ He also told us not to make any noise.”
Years later, when they told Geragos — who now represents them — he “appeared genuinely shocked to learn that Michael had kept us hidden from him during his representation.”
The declarations are in response to a Los Angeles Superior Court petition, filed in July by the Michael Jackson Company and property co-executors John Branca and John McClain, alleging that Frank Cascio and unidentified associates are trying what they describe as a “civil extortion scheme.”
The Cascio household — including children Frank (back row second from proper), Aldo (entrance row second from left) and Marie-Nicole (with dad Dominic) — grew close to Jackson (back row left) after dad Dominic met the singer through work. jacksondynasty.internet
The Cascios’ father, Dominic, met Jackson in the Nineteen Eighties while working at the Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York City and grew to become half of the singer’s inside circle — with the Cascio household spending holidays at Neverland Ranch and touring the world with Jackson.
Son Frank grew up idolizing the star and finally labored for him as an assistant and supervisor.
But in 2019, 10 years after Jackson’s death — and immediately after the airing of HBO’s controversial documentary “Leaving Neverland” — Frank told Jackson’s property executors that he was abused by the late singer.
Jackson holding a younger Frank Cascio. @VincentFAmen/X
Frank Cascio went on to work with Jackson as an assistant and supervisor before alleging he was abused by the singer as a baby. PA Images via Getty Images
The late singer’s property was thriving thanks to tasks including Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson: One” show in Las Vegas and the promise of Broadway’s “MJ: The Musical,” which was still in development.
Aldo and Porte allege in their declarations that an property consultant visited their father’s restaurant in New Jersey that December to meet with 9 members of the family — including three of their siblings, their dad and mom and some in-laws — to talk about what Porte calls a “purported ‘settlement agreement.’”
According to court paperwork, there was only one copy of the settlement for everybody to share and it was read aloud to them. “The entire situation was rushed, pressured, and overwhelming,” Porte says.
Cascio beforehand defended Jackson in interviews and his own memoir. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Frank beforehand called Jackson the kindest particular person he had ever recognized. YouTube
No legal professionals have been current and none of the Cascios obtained a copy afterward, they claim.
Porte alleges that “we were told by the Estate’s representatives that if we involved lawyers, the agreement would not get done or it would take years to finalize. We were confused, frightened, and
desperate to protect our family’s privacy.”
The Estate, the Cascios allege, called it a “life rights agreement.” Aldo and Porte characterize it in court papers as a coercive settlement meant to silence them.
“The pressure was compounded by the Estate’s exploitation of our family’s relationship with Michael’s children ” Aldo claims in his declaration. “We were told not to inform them about the agreement or the underlying abuse, even though keeping that secret was profoundly distressing.”
The Cascio kids not allege they have been told by Jackson to “hide” whenever lawyer Mark Geragos visited the singer. David Buchan/New York Post
Aldo said the Estate knew he was in therapy and had even paid half of the price. “At that time, I was overwhelmed by trauma, feeling that both I and my family were falling apart, and that there was no way out of the hell we were living,” he says in court papers.
The public fallout, Aldo provides, has been insufferable.
“Being branded a liar or extortionist about my childhood abuse has been humiliating, degrading and deeply wounding,” he laments. “I still struggle to wrap my head around the full extent of what Michael has done and the pain that continues to ripple through everything.”
In his 2011 e book, “My Friend Michael,” Frank Cascio called Jackson the kindest particular person he had ever recognized — and said in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Wendy Williams that Jackson was harmless of baby molestation prices. “Michael had never acted in any way even approximating inappropriate toward us,” he said then. “He was being attacked by liars who were after his money.”
Aldo Cascio alleges in his declaration that he was pressured to keep the household’s claims about Jackson from the late singer’s kids, Prince, Paris and Bigi. Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Frank, who says in the declaration that he’s dyslexic and struggled to perceive the 2019 settlement, signed it in Los Angeles at attorney Howard Weitzman’s workplace. Weitzman, who long represented Jackson and the property, allegedly pointed to the signature line, gave him a hug, and told him he was sorry for what the household had gone through.
The Michael Jackson Estate has dismissed the Cascio household’s allegations as false and pushed by money. Co-executor John Branca has called the siblings’ new claims half of a $213 million shakedown. The property filed an arbitration continuing and contacted law enforcement, calling the allegations a “calculated extortion attempt.”
The Michael Jackson Estate has dismissed the Cascio household’s allegations as false and pushed by money. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Branca beforehand told The Post the 2019 deal was mutual and vital to shield Jackson’s kids and the property’s future during a turbulent time — as it got here months after HBO aired “Leaving Neverland,” a documentary that reignited outdated accusations against the pop star. Branca said the property agreed to pay a number of longtime associates $3 million each and that both sides signed a strict nondisclosure settlement.
“It said you can’t even tell people there’s an agreement,” Branca said. “It allowed us to move forward with projects that would preserve Michael’s legacy.”
A decide will resolve next whether or not the case stays in non-public arbitration or heads to open court.
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