Four siblings who were part of Michael Jackson’s secret “second family” have filed a lawsuit revealing the depths of the alleged sexual abuse they suffered as children, including claims that the singer molested one of the boys at the homes of Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor.

The lawsuit, filed against Jackson’s estate in California’s Central District Court on Friday, accuses the late singer of grooming, drugging, raping and sexually assaulting four of the Cascio children — Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo — over the course of more than a decade, beginning when some of them were as young as 7. A fifth sibling, Frank Cascio, is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The pop icon used code phrases such as “Can I have a meeting,” “Yogi Tea,” “Neverland,” and “Go to Disneyland” to encourage the children to engage in “extreme sex acts” with him, the suit alleges. He plied them with wine — “Jesus Juice” — and hard liquor — “Disney Juice “ — and used drugs to make them more compliant, according to the lawsuit.

Marty Singer, an attorney for Jackson’s estate, decried the lawsuit as “a desperate money grab” in a statement.

“The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct,” Singer told The Times in an email. “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.”

Singer pointed out that prior statements made by the four Cascio siblings involved in the lawsuit, including statements that appear in their brother Frank Cascio’s 2011 book, contradict what they are saying now.

The “Thriller” singer’s connection to the Cascio family began in the 1980s when he met their father, Dominic Cascio Sr., at a luxury hotel in New York where the father worked.

The lawsuit accuses Jackson of “insinuating himself” into the Cascio family by using “obsessive attention, lavish gifts, access to his celebrity lifestyle, and declarations that he loved and needed each of them.” He invited them to travel around the world with him and celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas and his own birthday with them. He often spent long periods of time at their New Jersey home, where he also brought his own children, according to the complaint.

The chart-topping artist is accused of raping and molesting Edward “Eddie” Cascio at Elizabeth Taylor’s house in Switzerland as well as at Elton John’s home in the United Kingdom. Representatives for Jackson’s estate, Taylor’s estate and John did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch. That property became a central focus of the 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” in which two of Jackson’s accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, detail the abuse they suffered as children.

The complaint states that Jackson’s staff would help conceal and normalize his abuse of the Cascios; employees would deliberately book the parents hotel rooms away from their children, the suit says, so they could not tell how much time Jackson was spending with them.

The entertainer showed the siblings pornography and photos of naked children to desensitize them, the complaint alleges. He told them that his life, their lives and that of their family members would be destroyed if people knew what was going on.

“He told them to stay away from therapists and to avoid women, who he told them were ‘evil,’ ‘sneaky,’ ‘liars,’ and could ‘smell’ if something sexual had happened,” the complaint states.

For decades after the initial 1993 sexual assault claim against Jackson surfaced, the Cascio family did not speak up against the singer.

The performer convinced the parents to withdraw Aldo Cascio and Marie-Nicole Cascio from school on two occasions to “prevent disclosure of the abuse and gain more access to them,” the complaint alleges. The second time was shortly after authorities raided Neverland Ranch in 2003.

The Cascios’ longtime relationship with the superstar became known to the public when they appeared on Oprah in 2010.

During the appearance, they were billed as Jackson’s secret “second family” and said that they were reluctant to come forward but wanted to “show the world who Michael really was.” At the time, the family said that they didn’t believe the accusations against Jackson.

In his statement, Singer cited the “Oprah” appearance, saying, “Winfrey asked Eddie, Frank, and Marie Nicole, ‘Were there ever any improprieties with you and Michael Jackson?’ and all three of them responded in unison, ‘Never, never,’ and shook their heads. ... 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.”

As the four siblings aged and exposés such as “Leaving Neverland” came out, their statements about their childhood relationship with the pop star shifted. In 2019, several members of the Cascio family entered a confidential settlement agreement with Jackson’s estate agreeing to remain silent about their relationship to the singer.

That agreement provided for Jackson’s estate to pay each sibling five annual payments of about $690,000 as compensation “for the many years that Jackson abused each of them and that the Jackson Organization enabled and covered up the abuse,” according to the complaint. The Cascios say that this amount is “wholly inadequate,” noting that the singer reportedly paid $25 million in 1994 to settle the abuse allegations made against him in 1993.

Now, the four siblings are challenging the agreement as part of their recently filed lawsuit, alleging that they were coerced into signing it without understanding their rights.

“Buried within the Document’s legalese was a purported release of the Estate from liability for Jackson’s crimes, and language that prohibited Plaintiffs from reporting Jackson’s crimes to law enforcement or anyone saying anything negative about Jackson, or holding the Estate accountable in court for its and Jackson’s wrongdoing,” the complaint alleges.

Singer paints a different portrait of the siblings’ legal actions, saying that “amid the media frenzy” of the 2019 HBO documentary, which Singer described as “replete with false allegations,” the Cascio family threatened to make accusations that were the opposite of their prior statements about Jackson unless they were paid millions of dollars.

The four Cascio siblings are asking a jury to award them financial damages — including some potentially tripled damages because they were abused as children — over their allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up. They are also asking the court to throw out the 2019 agreement they say was used to silence them and are also seeking a ruling that the estate cannot force their claims into private arbitration.

LA GRANGE, Ill. (WLS) -- The La Grange Village Board voted on Monday night to approve a controversial plan that could permanently alter the heart of downtown.

For generations, shoppers have wandered the halls of Jackson Square Antique Mall, hunting for one-of-a-kind treasures. The century-old building, beloved by residents and small business owners, is comprised of 70 vendors.

For the past four years, a stall has housed Mandy Levy's business, called Junkie Vintage.

"It has been the thrill of my life to operate a little business out of this place," Levy said.

But time in the mall for Levy and the other vendors is coming to an end. The property was sold last year to a developer who wants to tear it down and build a 39-unit condominium complex in its place.

Supporters of the building say its art deco architecture helps to give downtown La Grange character.

An online petition titled Save Jackson Square has collected thousands of signatures, urging village leaders to preserve the structure. But the board approved the developer's plan at a Monday night meeting.

"We are jumping at an opportunity to tear it down when it should be repurposed, reused recycled," Levy said.

Therese O'Sullivan, who owned the property and sold it to the developer. She says she tried to do just that, but upgrading the 100-plus-year-old building would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"We wholeheartedly did explore different options with the building," O'Sullivan said.

And O'Sullivan says zoning code restrictions should prevent a condo from moving into the existing footprint.

The developer's plans also won a recommendation from the La Grange Plan Commission.

"It's tough though to see it happen, but i think it'll be great. It's a good use for the building," O'Sullivan said.

O'Sullivan in the process of finding another space to house the antique mall.

Longtime Jackson Family Wines president and CEO Rick Tigner has announced his retirement, and the company is appointing Tim Brown as Tigner’s successor. Tigner helped turn the family-owned Jackson (JFW) into America’s 7th largest wine company by volume and 8th by value during his tenure.

Tigner joined JFW in 1991 after an early stint with E.&J. Gallo. He quickly rose to become Jackson’s president and CEO, helming a portfolio of more than 6 million cases across 40 brands, including household names like Kendall-Jackson and La Crema, which account for annual U.S. retail value of about $500 million and $400 million respectively, according to Impact Databank, a sister publication of Wine Spectator.

Tigner will stay on and support Brown through the transition. “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Jackson Family Wines and thankful to the family for their trust in me,” said Tigner. “I am confident in the company’s future. Tim is a thoughtful, values-driven leader, and I look forward to supporting him as he transitions into the role and works more closely with the team.”

Tim Brown has more than 30 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods and foods industries, most recently serving as president and CEO of Upfield North America. Earlier in his career, he served in executive leadership roles at Chobani and Nestlé Waters North America. “I have long admired the family’s vision and the strong foundation Rick and his team have built over many years,” said Brown. “As I step into the role, I’m excited to listen, learn, and partner with the family and leadership team as we enter this next chapter.”

A Wine Industry Veteran

Working first with JFW founder Jess Jackson and then current company chairman Barbara Banke, Tigner was instrumental in growing Jackson Family Wines’ leading brands into the industry powerhouses they are today. In 2024, Kendall-Jackson was sold more than 3 million cases, while La Crema sold 1.4 million cases, according to Impact Databank. Tigner and Banke also led an expansion into numerous premium wines, acquiring or creating quality brands like Lokoya, Siduri, Brewer-Clifton, Penner Ash, Gran Moraine, Zena Crown and Giant Steps.

Last fall, Tigner spoke at the 49th Annual Impact Marketing Seminar, addressing the topic, “Navigating Generational Change in the U.S. Wine Market.” His presentation aimed to find positives during a period of headwinds in the wine industry and remind seminar attendees that the industry has faced downturns before. In addition, he discussed misconceptions about consumer behaviors across age demographics and how to meet younger and more diverse wine audiences where they are.