The Cascio family's lawsuit against Michael Jackson's estate will not move forward in court.
California federal judge Hernán D. Vera ruled Wednesday, Aug. 12, that the matter, regarding allegations that Jackson sexually abused the four siblings when they were minors, must be handled in private arbitration, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The ruling does not address the merits of the Cascio family's allegations or determine whether the alleged abuse occurred.
Vera wrote that the decision was based on a 2019 settlement, in which both sides agreed "any dispute over the agreement should be sent to arbitration." He added, "although the allegations are horrific, the Court is without discretion to do aught but enforce the language of the arbitration clause.
Howard King, an attorney for the Cascios, reacted to the news in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday, Aug. 13: "It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the decision on whether the Cascios were duped into signing an unconscionable agreement with an arbitration clause will be made by an arbitrator rather than a jury of peers."
"The family had hoped the Court would allow for a public trial over the decades-long molestations of the Cascio siblings by Michael Jackson and the ensuing cover-up by his advisors," the statement continued. "Instead, the family will seek justice from the dark confines of a private conference room."
USA TODAY has reached out to the lawyer for the Jackson estate for comment.
What did the Cascio siblings accuse Michael Jackson of doing?
Edward Cascio, Dominic Cascio, Marie-Nicole Porte and Aldo Cascio sued the late singer's estate in February, alleging child sex trafficking, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract and fraud.
In the complaint, obtained by USA TODAY, the siblings accused Jackson of being a "serial child predator who, over the course of more than a decade, drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted" them. They sought monetary damages and a ruling that would void the arbitration agreement they had signed.
Jackson's estate pushed back, citing the 2019 agreement, which provided them withnearly $700,000 per year, and accusing the Cascios of engaging in a "shakedown" by demanding an additional "payment of a staggering $213 Million."
The estate's defense also said the allegations contradict "prior statements supporting and defending Michael," as the Cascios used to refer to the Jacksons as their "second family" and have denied any sexual misconduct by the artist in the past, including in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Jackson denied allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime.
The siblings, however, said they were pressured to sign the agreement preventing them "from talking about the years of abuse they endured" under false pretenses, making it "void and unconscionable." They further claimed they were "groomed, brainwashed, and severely manipulated" by Jackson, per a May filing obtained by USA TODAY.
In his decision, judge Vera noted that the terms of the agreement are mandatory and therefore out of the court's control.
"The purpose of the Agreement was to resolve Plaintiffs’ claims against Defendants, which it did by compensating them in exchange for their silence," Vera wrote.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Jackson child sex abuse case won't move forward in court
