The legacy of the King of Pop faces a renewed and harrowing legal challenge as former associates come forward with graphic claims of historical abuse. Decades after the singer's death, the Michael Jackson estate faces a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Friday, in which four former associates allege the late singer drugged, raped and sexually assaulted them during what the filing describes as more than a decade of abuse beginning when some plaintiffs were as young as seven or eight. Frank, Dominic, Marie-Nicole Porte and Aldo Cascio, members of the Cascio family, who were once considered part of Jackson's inner circle, are named as plaintiffs in the 23-page complaint.
The filing alleges that the use of intoxicants was a frequent precursor to the alleged abuse, designed to render victims unable to resist or fully recall events, and that Jackson also exposed them to pornography beforehand. The estate has not yet issued a formal response to this specific action.
