July 10, 2025
The Michael Jackson estate says Frank Cascio, defender and accuser of the singer, is attempting to extort millions.
On July 8, Michael Jackson’s estate filed a lawsuit accusing Frank Cascio of extortion.
Cascio was a former friend and business associate of Jackson’s. The suit claims Cascio threatened to reveal false abuse allegations about the late singer if he was not paid up to $213 million, People reported.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court details Cascio’s alleged extortion attempt. Representatives for the estate claim Cascio met with them at the Sunset Marquis Hotel swimming pool to deliberately avoid recording devices as he levied his threats. They also claim he acted in a threatening manner designed to intimidate.
“The negotiation with Respondents morphed into a shakedown in which Frank and his cohorts each demanded substantial amounts of money, otherwise they threatened to concoct false allegations against Michael, which were the opposite of their prior glowing statements about Michael they had made in his defense over the prior decades,” the petition claims. “And they were free to do this because there is no protection against defamation for a deceased person.”
Cascio, once a defender of Jackson, recanted his support after the release of the 2011 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. After the release of the documentary, Cascio was paid a $3.3 million settlement. The settlement terms included confidentiality in order to protect Jackson’s children and estate from slanderous allegations. Furthermore, future disputes by Cascio were required to go through the arbitration process. By threatening to speak out on the alleged allegations lawyers contend Cascio is breaking the agreement.
Jackson estate attorney Martin D. Singer spoke out against the extortion and vowed to defend Jackson’s name.
“This is a clear case of civil extortion,” Singer told The Blast. “We will not stand by as Michael Jackson’s legacy is threatened by falsehoods and financial schemes.”
Cascio’s legal representation includes attorney Mark Geragos, who the estate claims renegotiated the demand. Yet, Geragos still demands tens of millions on behalf of his client and threatened further allegations unless paid.
Estate executors John Branca and John McClain argue the extortion attempt breaches the arbitration clause and request that Cascio be compelled to move forward privately, rather than through public court documents
“Mr. Cascio was part of Michael’s life for over 30 years, publicly defending him and calling himself family,” a spokesperson for the estate said in a statement. “Now, years after Michael’s death, he is seeking to profit from claims he once rejected as false.”
Instead of honoring the settlement, the estate claims Cascio and his legal team escalated their demands to $213 million, later lowering the amount to $44 million. They allegedly warned they would fabricate damaging allegations publicly or leak claims to publishers unless the estate complied. Estate executors stress that Jackson’s estate is now valued at over $3 billion.
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