Who is Frank Cascio? All we know as Michael Jackson’s estate accuses former manager of extortion

Frank Cascio, a longtime friend and former manager of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, is making headlines. He is demanding $213 million and has threatened to file a public lawsuit related to Jackson’s past child abuse allegations.

The 45-year-old, who once publicly defended Jackson against child sexual harassment allegations, is now facing serious accusations. Jackson’s estate claims he devised a strategy to profit from revisiting the old controversy.

Jackson’s estate is treating the matter with utmost seriousness. They have escalated the legal conflict, accusing Cascio of fabricating claims related to Jackson’s past abuse allegations in an attempt to extort $213 million. This is according to court papers filed on July 9, 2025, in LA County Superior Court. The court papers filed by Jackson’s estate were also obtained by People, in which the accused has been recognized as Frank Cascio.

In addition to being Jackson’s assistant, producing partner, and manager, Cascio was also considered one of his closest friends. According to HuffPost, Cascio first met the late King of Pop in 1984, when he was just 4 years old. His father, who worked in New York City’s Helmsley Palace as a general manager, came across MJ there and eventually became friends.

Later on, Cascio and his whole family became immensely close to the pop icon. They reached a point where they celebrated most of the big festivals together, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even birthdays. Their bond deepened over the years, and at 18, Cascio began working for Jackson.

Cascio had known Jackson for 25 years, maintaining both a personal and professional relationship with him. He also authored a book, My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship with an Extraordinary Man. In it, he detailed his relationship with MJ and also discussed his prescription drug use and his child abuse charges. The book was released in 2011.

Jackson's estate claims Frank Cascio changed his longstanding opinion on Michael Jackson's child abuse allegations

In the papers that were filed in court, Jackson’s estate claimed that Cascio, who was MJ’s close friend and associate for years, had suddenly changed his longstanding public opinion. Previously, he had protected MJ’s innocence. Jackson estate’s petition claimed:

"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. And they were free to do this because there is no protection against defamation for a deceased person."

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In his book, Cascio wrote about Jackson’s affection for children, which he described as entirely innocent. He also discussed how Michael was misunderstood by many. An extract from Cascio’s book read:

"All the years that I was close to him, I saw nothing that raised any red flags, not as a child and not as an adult. Michael may have been eccentric, but that didn’t make him criminal. I want to be precise and clear, on the record, so that everyone can read and understand: Michael’s love for children was innocent."

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