Entertainment
Michael Jackson Accuser’s Attorney Warns of Damaging Accusations on Video
Howard King, the attorney representing a family accusing Michael Jackson of abuse, spoke to TMZ after a dramatic day in court in their fight with Jackson’s estate … and he explained what caused the family’s flip from ally to enemy.
Frank Cascio and his siblings reportedly settled for millions of dollars in 2020 with Jackson’s estate amid allegations the late King of Pop sexually abused them as children. But in 2024, Frank alleged he signed the settlement under duress.
Today, the Cascio family was back in court with Jackson’s estate, represented by attorney Marty Singer … who claims the Cascios are trying to extort MJ’s estate.
This presents a complete reversal from Frank’s days as a staunch Jackson defender. So why the change of heart? King says years of therapy helped Frank stop drinking “the Michael Jackson Kool-Aid.”
The emotional toll was evident, particularly for Frank’s brother, Aldo, who was seen crying in the courtroom before today’s hearing began and had to step out with King.
King explained Aldo’s breakdown, saying, “These kids are all damaged. One of the children in particular is severely damaged over what happened to him, and it’s only compounded by these ridiculous court proceedings where the estate publicly claims that he’s lying. He’s not lying.”
King says the first thing he did when he was retained by the Cascio family in 2024 was record each of the 5 siblings detailing the abuse they claim to have suffered at the hands of Jackson. This allegedly resulted in 10 hours of video testimony.
According to King, he showed Singer an hour of the footage, and he claims Singer responded, “This will never see the light of day. We’re gonna resolve this. Make me an offer.”
King claims Singer did make an offer, but then double-crossed him by publicly accusing King of extortion.
Now, arbitration is off the table as far as King is concerned. He says they’re asking for more than $200 million after Jackson reportedly paid accuser Jordan Chandler roughly $25 million for one instance of molestation in the ’90s.
However, Singer tells TMZ … “Mr. King’s statement is an outright lie.” He says he never made any of the statements that he claims were made. Singer says … “I spoke to a witness who was with me and confirmed that Mr. King’s statement is a fabrication. He is simply trying to deflect from the fact that he communicated a demand of $213 million which is the subject of our extortion claim and was reported to the authorities.”
TMZ.com
Frank’s attorney of record, Mark Geragos, will decide what steps to take moving forward.
Sydney Sweeney is wildin’ out on OnlyFans with a full-on booty shake — psych! It’s not her. It’s Cassie going full send in the latest “Euphoria” trailer, and yeah… things get very raunchy, very fast.
Yup — the first teaser for S3 just dropped, and Sydney is fully locked into Cassie mode, playing a cam girl with one very up-close, in-your-face shot of her shaking her booty while rocking a sexy bunny-tail cosplay outfit.
There’s some other quick flashes of Cassie filming adult content on a bed — until her boo Nate (Jacob Elordi) walks in mid-scene, and makes it clear he’s not thrilled about her new X-rated side hustle.
There’s a LOT happening — clearly making up for the four-year wait since Sam Levinson’s drama disappeared from our screens — and with the story jumping five years ahead, Zendaya’s Rue is still tangled up in that dangerous drug-debt mess we last left her in.
The trailer also makes it clear we’ll be checking back in with Hunter Schafer’s Jules, Maude Apatow’s Lexi, Alexa Demie’s Maddy and the rest of the chaotic crew in the final season of “Euphoria” — with the ultra-raunchy ride set to hit HBO on April 12!
Prosecutors in New Mexico want Timothy Busfield behind bars as his child sex abuse case plays out … painting him as a child predator who poses a danger to any kid who gets near him.
In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors lay out all the reasons why they want Timothy to remain locked up as the criminal case proceeds … including the serious allegations he’s facing here, plus a fresh accusation made yesterday from the father of an alleged victim.
Prosecutors say the alleged victims here were child actors on “The Cleaning Lady” while Timothy was directing the show in 2022 in New Mexico … and they say one of the boys claims Timothy repeatedly touched his penis and buttocks over clothing when they were alone on set, often while the kid was lying on a bed.
In the docs, prosecutors say the alleged victim’s claims are corroborated by therapy records diagnosing him with PTSD and anxiety; medical records documenting grooming and sexual abuse concerns; behavioral change, including nightmares, bed-wetting, withdrawal and fear, plus independent witnesses describing Timothy as “touchy” and physically inappropriate.
Prosecutors say Timothy admitted he likely tickled and touched the children involved in the case and maintained off-set social relationships with them and their family … though they claim he contradicted himself when he told police he “didn’t really know the boys.”
They say the boy’s twin brother independently disclosed unwanted touching by Timothy and “corroborated the pattern of inappropriate physical contact authority based silence.”
Prosecutors say Timothy encouraged the boys to call him “Uncle Tim” and purchased gifts, socialized with the family outside of work, and “exploited the chaotic filming environment to isolate the children — conduct consistent with grooming behaviors recognized in child sex abuse cases.”
And get this … the father of another alleged victim came forward to law enforcement Tuesday to report his daughter was sexually abused by Busfield in Sacramento, California, several years ago.
According to the court filing, the 16-year-old girl was auditioning for Busfield at a theater when he kissed her and slipped his hands down her pants, touching her vagina. The records state Busfield begged the family not to report the incident to law enforcement if he received therapy … and the dad — who is a therapist — thought at the time it was the best way to handle it.
They say Timothy “poses an ongoing and serious danger to children and the community” and claim “his conduct reflects a calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors.”
Prosecutors say Timothy has “a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority, and grooming behavior.” They say he faced sexual assault allegations in 1994 when a 17-year-old extra on “Little Big League” sued him in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming Timothy assaulted her, served her alcohol, groped her and attempted to have sex with her in a trailer. They say Timothy denied the claims, counter sued for extortion and settled privately.
What’s more, prosecutors say in 2012 a 28-year-old woman accused Timothy of battery in a Los Angeles movie theater … alleging he slipped his hand under her clothes and touched her genitals for four minutes. They say cops took a report but prosecutors in L.A. declined to file criminal charges and Timothy called the alleged encounter consensual.
Prosecutors say Warner Bros. investigated Timothy in February 2024 after an anonymous complaint was made through the SAG-AFTRA hotline … where Timothy was accused of entering a trailer on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” and kissing a 6-year-old boy on the face while the kid was getting a haircut. They say the complaint further alleged there were photos of Timothy “tickling and caressing the head and bodies of minor boys, obviously drunk.”
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