Though the King of Pop has passed away, the disputes surrounding his legacy are far from over, particularly with one of Michael Jackson's former close associates now embroiled in a shocking legal controversy.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime a art hourly update, breaking crime news. Now, I'm
Nicole Parton. Although the King of Pop has passed away,
the disputes surrounding his legacy are far from over, particularly
with one of Michael Jackson's former close associates, who is
now embroiled in a shocking legal controversy. More than ten
years after Jackson's untimely death and following renewed abuse allegations
(00:25):
brought to light by HBO's twenty nineteen documentary Leaving Netherland,
his estate has levied serious accusations against Frank Cassio, a
longtime friend and former music manager. The estate claims that
Cassio orchestrated a complex and calculated scheme to exploit the
controversy for financial gain. In legal documents submitted to the
(00:49):
Los Angeles County Superior Court, Jackson's estate has named Cassio,
who previously managed parts of the singer's career and wrote
a memoir titled My Friend Michael in twenty eleven. They've
named him as the accused party. The estate has intensified
its legal actions against Cassio, alleging that he fabricated damaging
(01:12):
child abuse allegations In a reported two hundred and thirteen
million dollars extortion plot. Despite years of publicly supporting Jackson
against such accusations, the estate contends that Cassio has betrayed
a man he once referred to as a brother, friend,
and mentor, all in pursuit of a lucrative payout. Cassio
(01:35):
has consistently defended Jackson in public appearances on shows like
The Oprah Winfrey Show, Primetime Live, and The Wendy Williams Show,
portraying himself as a protector of the pop icons contested legacy. However,
the estate claims that his loyalty shifted dramatically in response
to changing public opinion after the release of Leaving Netherland,
(01:57):
which featured allegations from Wade Robson and James safe Chuck,
both of whom assert that Jackson abused them when they
were children. Both men are continuing legal actions against the estate,
which insist their claims are unfounded and financially motivated. The
recent petition filed by the estate seeks to initiate arbitration,
(02:18):
marking their first formal response to what they deemed to
be a bold attempt at extortion. The estate alleges that
Cassio and his legal representatives, led by celebrity attorney Mark Garrigos,
who previously represented Jackson, have repeatedly threatened to pursue a
public lawsuit against the abuse claims unless their growing financial
(02:39):
demands are met. The estate claims that Cassio initiated this
so called shakedown at the Sunset Marquee Hotel Pool shortly
after the release of Leaving Netherland, reviving long standing allegations
against Jackson. The filing asserts that Cassio, who had known
Jackson since childhood and maintained close time with him for decades,
(03:01):
has dramatically changed his public stance, abandoning his previous passionate
defense of Jackson's innocence. The negotiations with respondents turned into
a shakedown in which Frank and his associates demanded significant
sums of money, threatening to fabricate false allegations against Michael
that contradicted their previously glowing defenses. The petition says they
(03:26):
felt free to do this due to the lack of
defamation protections for deceased individuals. In his memoir, Cassi always
claimed that Jackson's affection for children was innocent and often misinterpreted.
He stated, throughout the years I spent with him, I
saw nothing alarming, neither as a child or an adult.
While Michael may have been eccentric, that did not make
(03:47):
him a criminal. I want to be clear, Michael's love
for children was always innocent. Here he is in his
own words in an ABC interview.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, I think that actually stems from their father. That
actually shows the world how those children were raised and
how bright they were. And you know, when it was
time to be in public, they were ready beyond, beyond beyond.
I don't know how to say, but they're just beautiful children.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
The estate fur their claims that in January twenty twenty,
it reluctantly reached a confidential settlement with Cassio in the
amount of three point three million dollars with no admission
of wrongdoing. The petition indicates that this agreement was made
to shield Jackson's family, especially his children, from further false
accusations and to protect his valuable legacy. The settlement included
(04:40):
a binding arbitration clause intended to resolve any future disputes privately. However,
the estate contends that Cassio breached this agreement by threatening
public legal action unless he received an additional two hundred
and thirteen million dollars. The current filing accuses Cassio and
his associa of violating the arbitration agreement by continuing to
(05:03):
make public threats which have reportedly been lowered to a
demand of just forty four million dollars to assert their
rights under the agreement. The estate says petitioners hereby request
and order, compelling respondents to resolve the claims that are unfounded.
Since Jackson's passing in two thousand and nine, his estate
has vicariously defended his legacy, battling persistent abuse allegations in
(05:28):
both courtrooms and the public sphere. Jackson was acquitted of
child molestation charges in a high profile two thousand and
five trial, never faced legal repercussions for any related claims
during his lifetime. However, the shadow of these allegations continues
to loom large following the release of that controversial documentary
(05:49):
featuring heart wrenching testimonies from Robson and safe Chuck. Jackson's estate,
which sued HBO over the film, has consistently maintained that
all allegations are false. Since his death, Jackson's estate has
generated over three billion dollars in revenue, making him one
of the most profitable deceased celebrities in history. For now,
(06:11):
the legal saga surrounding one of pop music's most contentious
figures continues to unfold in the courtroom or crime and
justice news. After this and now to Florida, where a
man has been arrested and accused of killing his uncle,
(06:32):
fatally shooting the man after an argument escalated after the
two fought about a television O'Neill. Robert Matthew Thompson was
taken into custody by police and charged with one count
of murder, according to court documents. Deputies with the Escambia
County Sheriff's Office responded to a home in the two
hundred block of Lakewood Road after shots were fired. The
(06:55):
caller said she was Thompson's grandmother and that he had
just shot herself son inside the house and then ran
from the scene. She provided the emergency dispatchers a description
of her son and what he was wearing. Thompson was
quickly located by authorities and taken into custody just a
few blocks away. Police say they recovered the weapon and
(07:16):
when asked the man why he shot his uncle, admitted
to the crime, saying they had fought over a television.
Thompson is currently being held without bond for the latest crime.
Injustice news, follow crime Alert hourly update on your favorite
podcasting app with this crime Alert. I'm Nicol Parton.
Crime a art hourly update, breaking crime news. Now, I'm
Nicole Parton. Although the King of Pop has passed away,
the disputes surrounding his legacy are far from over, particularly
with one of Michael Jackson's former close associates, who is
now embroiled in a shocking legal controversy. More than ten
years after Jackson's untimely death and following renewed abuse allegations
(00:25):
brought to light by HBO's twenty nineteen documentary Leaving Netherland,
his estate has levied serious accusations against Frank Cassio, a
longtime friend and former music manager. The estate claims that
Cassio orchestrated a complex and calculated scheme to exploit the
controversy for financial gain. In legal documents submitted to the
(00:49):
Los Angeles County Superior Court, Jackson's estate has named Cassio,
who previously managed parts of the singer's career and wrote
a memoir titled My Friend Michael in twenty eleven. They've
named him as the accused party. The estate has intensified
its legal actions against Cassio, alleging that he fabricated damaging
(01:12):
child abuse allegations In a reported two hundred and thirteen
million dollars extortion plot. Despite years of publicly supporting Jackson
against such accusations, the estate contends that Cassio has betrayed
a man he once referred to as a brother, friend,
and mentor, all in pursuit of a lucrative payout. Cassio
(01:35):
has consistently defended Jackson in public appearances on shows like
The Oprah Winfrey Show, Primetime Live, and The Wendy Williams Show,
portraying himself as a protector of the pop icons contested legacy. However,
the estate claims that his loyalty shifted dramatically in response
to changing public opinion after the release of Leaving Netherland,
(01:57):
which featured allegations from Wade Robson and James safe Chuck,
both of whom assert that Jackson abused them when they
were children. Both men are continuing legal actions against the estate,
which insist their claims are unfounded and financially motivated. The
recent petition filed by the estate seeks to initiate arbitration,
(02:18):
marking their first formal response to what they deemed to
be a bold attempt at extortion. The estate alleges that
Cassio and his legal representatives, led by celebrity attorney Mark Garrigos,
who previously represented Jackson, have repeatedly threatened to pursue a
public lawsuit against the abuse claims unless their growing financial
(02:39):
demands are met. The estate claims that Cassio initiated this
so called shakedown at the Sunset Marquee Hotel Pool shortly
after the release of Leaving Netherland, reviving long standing allegations
against Jackson. The filing asserts that Cassio, who had known
Jackson since childhood and maintained close time with him for decades,
(03:01):
has dramatically changed his public stance, abandoning his previous passionate
defense of Jackson's innocence. The negotiations with respondents turned into
a shakedown in which Frank and his associates demanded significant
sums of money, threatening to fabricate false allegations against Michael
that contradicted their previously glowing defenses. The petition says they
(03:26):
felt free to do this due to the lack of
defamation protections for deceased individuals. In his memoir, Cassi always
claimed that Jackson's affection for children was innocent and often misinterpreted.
He stated, throughout the years I spent with him, I
saw nothing alarming, neither as a child or an adult.
While Michael may have been eccentric, that did not make
(03:47):
him a criminal. I want to be clear, Michael's love
for children was always innocent. Here he is in his
own words in an ABC interview.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, I think that actually stems from their father. That
actually shows the world how those children were raised and
how bright they were. And you know, when it was
time to be in public, they were ready beyond, beyond beyond.
I don't know how to say, but they're just beautiful children.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
The estate fur their claims that in January twenty twenty,
it reluctantly reached a confidential settlement with Cassio in the
amount of three point three million dollars with no admission
of wrongdoing. The petition indicates that this agreement was made
to shield Jackson's family, especially his children, from further false
accusations and to protect his valuable legacy. The settlement included
(04:40):
a binding arbitration clause intended to resolve any future disputes privately. However,
the estate contends that Cassio breached this agreement by threatening
public legal action unless he received an additional two hundred
and thirteen million dollars. The current filing accuses Cassio and
his associa of violating the arbitration agreement by continuing to
(05:03):
make public threats which have reportedly been lowered to a
demand of just forty four million dollars to assert their
rights under the agreement. The estate says petitioners hereby request
and order, compelling respondents to resolve the claims that are unfounded.
Since Jackson's passing in two thousand and nine, his estate
has vicariously defended his legacy, battling persistent abuse allegations in
(05:28):
both courtrooms and the public sphere. Jackson was acquitted of
child molestation charges in a high profile two thousand and
five trial, never faced legal repercussions for any related claims
during his lifetime. However, the shadow of these allegations continues
to loom large following the release of that controversial documentary
(05:49):
featuring heart wrenching testimonies from Robson and safe Chuck. Jackson's estate,
which sued HBO over the film, has consistently maintained that
all allegations are false. Since his death, Jackson's estate has
generated over three billion dollars in revenue, making him one
of the most profitable deceased celebrities in history. For now,
(06:11):
the legal saga surrounding one of pop music's most contentious
figures continues to unfold in the courtroom or crime and
justice news. After this and now to Florida, where a
man has been arrested and accused of killing his uncle,
(06:32):
fatally shooting the man after an argument escalated after the
two fought about a television O'Neill. Robert Matthew Thompson was
taken into custody by police and charged with one count
of murder, according to court documents. Deputies with the Escambia
County Sheriff's Office responded to a home in the two
hundred block of Lakewood Road after shots were fired. The
(06:55):
caller said she was Thompson's grandmother and that he had
just shot herself son inside the house and then ran
from the scene. She provided the emergency dispatchers a description
of her son and what he was wearing. Thompson was
quickly located by authorities and taken into custody just a
few blocks away. Police say they recovered the weapon and
(07:16):
when asked the man why he shot his uncle, admitted
to the crime, saying they had fought over a television.
Thompson is currently being held without bond for the latest crime.
Injustice news, follow crime Alert hourly update on your favorite
podcasting app with this crime Alert. I'm Nicol Parton.
Host
Nancy Grace
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