Michael Jackson biopic opens amid shocking lawsuit

A major twist just hit Michael opening weekend – and it’s not part of the script.

A family once fiercely loyal to Michael Jackson has filed a lawsuit accusing the late singer of sexual abuse. 

Dominic and Connie Cascio, along with their children, claim four of them were abused over years at Neverland Ranch, on tour, and during trips.

This is the same family that publicly defended Jackson for decades – even appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010, calling themselves his “second family.”

So what changed?

According to The New York Times, the Cascios previously raised these allegations privately, resulting in a reported $16 million agreement with Jackson’s estate. Payments allegedly stopped in 2025, talks broke down – and now, court.

The estate is not holding back.

Attorney Marty Singer slammed the claims as a “desperate money grab,” adding, “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 lawsuit itself is explosive, accusing Jackson of being a “serial child predator…” who “groomed and brainwashed” them with gifts, attention, and access to fame. It also alleges drug use, coded language like “Jesus Juice,” and claims staff helped conceal abuse.

The family says watching Leaving Neverland helped “deprogram” them.

Meanwhile, the film Michael is still tracking for a huge box office debut. Director Dan Reed recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “people don’t care that he was a child molester. Literally, people just don’t care … ‘Oh well, it’s a great jukebox movie’…”

Hollywood rollout meets real-life reckoning – and audiences are stuck in the middle.