Former Michael Jackson Friends Switch Lawyers Again In 'Desperate' Attempt For 'Multimillion-Dollar Payday' In War With Estate

Four siblings who spent a quarter century publicly championing Michael Jackson, cashing a combined $11.2 million from his estate along the way, have now filed a federal lawsuit demanding hundreds of millions more, their third legal push through two different law firms in what Jackson's attorney is calling a calculated "money grab."

Edward, Dominic, Aldo Cascio, and their sister Marie-Nicole Porte, who famously appeared on national television as recently as 2010 to declare Jackson's innocence in unison, filed the complaint on February 27 in California's Central District Court. 

It comes after the same family already pocketed $2.8 million each from the estate in 2019,  money the estate says it reluctantly handed over only after the Cascios threatened a public smear campaign unless they were paid "staggering sums." 

Having spent that settlement, the family has cycled through two different attorneys and is now back for more.

"This lawsuit is a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family who have hopped on the bandwagon with their brother Frank, who is already being sued in arbitration for civil extortion," Marty Singer, attorney for the Jackson estate, exclusively told The Blast. 

"The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct. 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."

The latest filing marks the third escalation in the family's demands since 2019. 

Their attorney, Howard King, who is most known for representing music legend Dr. Dre in litigation, opened by demanding $213 million.

King, who represented musician Marilyn Manson in 2024, a case where Manson, as a result of King’s legal error, notoriously paid Evan Rachel Wood around $327,000 in lawyer fees. When King failed to collect on his $213 million extortion demand, he was then replaced by Mark Geragos, who had previously been branded as a “liar for hire.” Geragos himself, a former Jackson defense attorney, had spent years publicly vouching for Jackson's innocence and once called accusations against him "a shakedown."  When Geragos failed to collect on his $40 million demand, King was hired back and the siblings “desperately” resorted to federal court.

"Still looking for their multi-million-dollar payday, the Cascios brought back Howard King and are grasping at straws through this frivolous filing," Singer said.

The family's about-face is all the more striking given how emphatically and repeatedly they defended Jackson on the public record. 

In a 2010 nationally televised Oprah Winfrey interview, in which they were introduced as Jackson's secret "second family," Winfrey asked Eddie, Frank, and Marie-Nicole directly whether there had ever been any impropriety with Jackson. 

All three responded in unison: "Never, never," shaking their heads. 

Eddie volunteered that Jackson "couldn't harm a fly" and was "such a kind and gentle soul." 

When asked about Jackson's criminal trial, Eddie dismissed the charges as "ridiculous," adding, "Michael was a target, and unfortunately, he was targeted."

Jackson was unanimously acquitted by a jury after a five-month trial in 2005. 

Singer also pointed to Frank Cascio's 2011 book, which contains dozens of passages in which the family consistently asserted Jackson never harmed any of them or anyone else.

"Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael's death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation," Singer said. "Sadly, in death just as in life, Michael's talents and success continue to make him a target."