The singer continued performing for some seconds before being tackled to the ground by stagehands and fellow members of The Jacksons, who were also on stage at the time, and the flames were beaten out. Jan. 27, 1984: Michael Jackson Burned in Pepsi Spot. Copyright 2022 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Jackson, 25, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where a spokesman said Jackson was "fine" despite the burns. "Michael is quite shocked. Emmanuel Lewis' Family Took Michael In When He Was Recovering From His Pepsi Commercial Accident. Yes, he took medicine. He is a Jehovah's Witness who lives with his mother and who is close to his family; his group, the Jacksons, includes . The accident, witnessed by thousands of stunned fans at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, came at the height of Jackson's fame, about a year after the release of his best-selling "Thriller" album. Because whenever he was out in public he was wearing a wig. Hair product may not exacerbate it sometimes. Michael Jackson is the world's most successful dead celebrity. The harrowing, never-before-seen footage of the singer's 1984 Pepsi commercial accident. 1984: Michael Jackson burned in Pepsi ad Michael Jackson has received hospital treatment for serious burns to his head after his hair caught light during a freak filming accident. In this Jan. 27, 1984 file photo, singer Michael Jackson looks out from an ambulance as he arrives at Brotman Memorial Hospital in Culver City, after suffering second-degree burns on his scalp while filming a Pepsi commercial, according to officials. While Michael Jackson was whisked away to detox treatment, the star's lawyers fought a desperate battle to protect him from facing the sexual-abuse charges brought by his 13-year-old accuser. Many believed that Jackson would sue Pepsi for the accident, which also left him partially bald and relying on wigs for the rest of his life. Yesterday, Us Weekly unearthed footage of Michael Jackson being severely burned while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles. In ultimate secrecy, Jackson was switched with his clone. Marc Schaffel, a former associate of Jackson, however, said it was not a spider bite but a problem caused by a broken IV needle. He had become hooked on the drugs after a being burned in a 1984 accident. He was known to wear wigs in public after the mishap. When Michael Jackson emerges from the pile of people trying to help him, the top of his head is bald. It was just supposed to be a routine commercial shoot:Michael Jackson, just 25 years old, was the biggest star in the world, his 1982Thrilleralbum having logged the better part of a year at #1. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . "Within two weeks of the fire, Michael was back on his feet and in good spirits," Jay Coleman, the agent who repped Jackson when he cut the deal with Pepsi, told ABC News.com. "This medication was initially prescribed to treat excruciating pain I suffered after recent reconstructive surgery on my scalp," he said in 1993. Describing Jacksons autopsy, Detective Dan Myers, also of the LAPD, said: Blood is drawn and then that blood is sent to a toxicology unit. In this video still image released by Us Weekly on July 16, 2009, pop star Michael Jackson, unaware his hair is on fire, films a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 27, 1984. It is also alleged that the medication used to treat the pain on his head began a lifelong drug dependency. But in 1984, his hair and scalp caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, causing the celebrity to have permanent hair loss. Eminem mocked the singer's accident in the video for his song Just Lose It, dressing as Jackson in a video where his hair caught fire before sitting on a bed surrounded by young children. The 25-year-old entertainer was singing his hit "Billie Jean" for a Pepsi Cola commercial in Los Angeles when the special effects went wrong. Expand. How long have Keir Starmer and Sue Gray been secretly cooking up their plot? A long check list: Microphones, wires, wardrobe changes, towels, song list, ice, Gatorade, fans, grease paints, powder. Jackson was at the pinnacle of his career around the time of his accident. Lewis first met Jackson on the set of his "Thriller" music video in 1983. Brando appears on the never-been-released footage of the Pepsi accident, obtained by Us Weekly, rushing to Jackson's aid several seconds after the pyrotechnics were fired and engulfed the singer. Three thousand fans saw a firework display erupt behind the superstar, showering him in sparks and setting light to his hair. Other drugs confiscated included the painkillers OxyContin and Demerol. The burns never completely healed, leaving Jackson with scars across parts of his head and scalp for the rest of his life. It was later reported that the pain Jackson suffered on his scalp from the burns was prolonged and led to his prescription pill addiction. Jackson's brothers, who were making the commercial with him, rushed to help smother the flames, she said. Starting with his tragic upbringing and ending with the unfortunate circumstances of his untimely death, Jackson's time in the public eye was characterized by eccentric behavior that challenged the loyalty of his fan base to its very core. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Shocking footage has emerged of the Pepsi commercial on January 27, 1984, when a pyrotechnics accident left him with second and third degree burns to his fac. Coleman was not at the shoot, but said the accident made front-page news and the ads were run on the television news weeks before they officially ran as paid spots beginning in February 1984. Hoefflin is now retired and could not be reached by ABC News.com. There he was treated and declared out of mortal danger, but the singer was then transferred by ambulance to Brotman Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Culver City, California. He was later transferred by ambulance to Brotman memorial Hospital Burn Center. Story Highlights; Michael Jackson shot commercial for Pepsi in 1984; During shoot, Jackson's hair caught on fire during an on-set accident ; Injuries, including second-degree burns, blamed for . A short deliberation followed, before Pepsi compensated the singer with $1.5 million. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The video below shows two takes - in the first the explosion . Jackson continued performing briefly, apparently not realising he was on fire, before his entourage jumped on him and put the fire out. Pomade used in Jackson's hair appeared to catch fire, said Angela Bennett, an extra who was backstage when the accident occurred. The newly released footage of the harrowing events of Jan. 27, 1984, when Michael Jackson caught on fire while shooting a spot for Pepsi, has raised new questions about who may be responsible for the accident. Michael Jackson's name has become synonymous with Neverland Ranch a sprawling, gated compound he purchased in 1988. Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009), also commonly known as MJ, was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. "It will take a few weeks to determine the hair loss.". The clip shows . Unfortunately Michael Jackson suffered permanent damage to his scalp as a result of a Pepsi commercial accident where his hair caught on fire so he started wearing wigs from that point on. Copyright 2023 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. However, tragedy struck in 1984 during a $5 . It didn't go well: At the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, in front of an audience of 3,000, assembled to create the concert environment, Michael was dancing to his hit "Billie Jean.". Jackson, who was photographed in an ambulance with a bandage on his head and his trademark sequined white glove on his right hand, required several surgeries and needed skin grafts to treat the injury. Another friend of Jackson's, Karen Faye, was present at the accident, and claims Jackson told later told her: "I can't disappoint the audience. Police investigating Jackson's June 25 death have confirmed that his home was filled with powerful prescription drugs including the painkillers Oxycontin and Demerol and the hospital-grade anesthetic Diprivan. In his autobiography, "Moonwalk," he described the cause of the accident as "stupidity, pure and simple. Although the public was shown Jackson after being burned, what we had seen, was a clone version of him. Just two years later, they announced an unprecedented $15 million advertising deal. In this Jan. 27, 1984 file photo, singer Michael Jackson looks out from an ambulance as he arrives at Brotman Memorial Hospital in Culver City, after suffering second-degree burns on his scalp . She added, "LA investigators asked us not to share any information about any substance food, drink, or otherwise that Jackson may have taken. Michael Jackson is wheeled into Brotman Merorial Hospital after he was burned filming a soft drink commercial featuring fireworks, which set his jacket and hair on fire. Michael Jackson wins favourite soul/R&B artist at the American Music Awards in 1981. Witnesses reported that Jackson's hair and jacket caught fire when he moved too close to a pyrotechnics display behind him while dancing on a tiered stage at the Shrine Auditorium to his hit single "Billie Jean.". One which made headlines at the time and which has stuck in the collective memory Jackson's terrible accident in January 1984, when the King of Pop was on stage in Los . His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for having administered anaesthetic drugs without being qualified to do so. His hair never grew back properly either, which reportedly led to Jackson wearing wigs. Friends and associates of Jackson have said they routinely tried to stage interventions to help the singer kick his habit, but they were routinely rebuffed or pushed away. Michael Jackson is wheeled into Brotman Merorial Hospital after he was burned filming a soft drink commercial featuring fireworks, which set his jacket and hair on fire. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. This was how he looked during the 1990s (circa 91 - 93). The autopsy held on Jacksons body after he died on July 25, 2009, later confirmed he still had bald parts on his head. In the fall of 83 he and his Jackson Five brothers signed a $5 million endorsement deal with PepsiCo that would include, among other promotions, Michael appearing in commercials pushingthe soft drink.