14 DAY TRIAL // In 1984, as Michael Jackson was at the height of his career, an accident took place during a shoot for a Pepsi ad that changed his life forever. The singer suffered severe burns on his scalp and body, which required heavy medication because he was in terrible pain, as well as extensive corrective surgery. Us Weekly got a hold of the video of the entire incident.
The shoot took place on January 27, 1984, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, in front of 3,000 fans, many of which did not even know what was happening even when Michael’s staff and assistants rushed on the stage to put out the flames burning his hair. As the video (see below) also shows, the first five takes for Michael’s entrance on stage go very well, with the pyrotechnics explosions going off as scheduled and no one getting hurt.
“On the sixth take, though, things went horribly wrong: The fireworks erupted too early, igniting Jackson’s head in flames.” Us Weekly writes. Michael clearly did not have enough time to move a step forward – if he had, none of this would have probably happened, it is being said. “Jackson is at first unaware he’s on fire, and continues dancing.” the mag further writes. Indeed, as the footage also shows, he’s not feeling the burn or any pain, and does not stop dancing until staff break on the stage to put out the fire on his head.
When Michael Jackson lifts up his head towards the end of the video, a bald patch can be seen on his scalp, fiery red from being scorched. In the incident, the singer suffered second- and third-degree burns on his scalp and body, which eventually led to his overmedication with painkillers to cope with the pain. At about the same time, it is being said, Michael started getting extensive plastic surgery, most the procedures initially being for the purpose of eliminating the scars from the incident.
However, Us Weekly, as well as several other media outlets, agree that it was this 1984 incident that led to Michael’s drug addiction, an addiction he never managed to kick and that eventually killed him. As we also informed you a few hours ago, police are now investigating Jackson’s death as a homicide, with Dr. Conrad Murray as the primary suspect, for apparently injecting him with a deadly dose of the anesthetic Propofol.
Caution is advised when seeing the footage of the 1984 incident, as it includes strong images that might offend.