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Did Michael Jackson's hair really catch fire? What happened during the Pepsi commercial accident
Decades after the shocking 1984 incident, renewed attention from films and documentaries sheds light on the moment that changed Michael Jackson's life.
Michael Jackson has taken the world by storm this time at the box office with his new musical biopic, Michael, with the highest ever opening weekend. Michael, which debuted on Wednesday and has brought in $217 million worldwide, stars the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson.
The movie highlights the legendary musician's journey through Hollywood and plays the hits from “ABC” to “Human Nature.” But the biopic also touches upon one of the King of Pop's most traumatic periods.
Read more: Why Michael does not include sexual abuse case: Estate's $200M 'error' explained
The accident that took Pepsi down
The incident, which occurred on January 27, 1984, during a high-profile Pepsi shoot at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, remains one of the most shocking accidents in entertainment history.
At the time, Jackson was 25 and at the peak of his fame following the success of Thriller.
Jackson was performing a staged concert sequence for an audience of 3,000 people. Everything went according to plan until the sixth take, when he sang "Billie Jean" while descending a stairway. This is when, behind him, a pyrotechnic detonated, showering Jackson with sparkles and setting his hair on fire. He carried on with the performance with his fire.
Jackson's siblings and crew members hurried to assist him, covering his burning hair with his jacket, according to a BBC news report that was shown at the time. He was then treated for burns of the second and third degrees. He lost a lot of hair as well.
In the months that followed, he underwent outpatient care, which included surgery three months later to help remove scar tissue from his scalp.
He maintained his composure throughout the bizarre mishap, according to audience attendees, and some even believed that it was a stunt. Even while being transported to the hospital, he continued to wear his shiny silver glove.
Pepsi aired the advertisement
Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with Pepsi for $1.5 million (approximately $4.9 million now, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), as depicted in "Michael." He gave Brotman the entire sum, and long after his treatment was over, he continued to see people.
The tragedy did not stop the Pepsi commercial from airing.
Read more: Where is Bubbles now? Michael Jackson's pet chimp is 42
Documentary and Biopic claimed Pepsi advertisement sparked his dependence on prescription pain meds
According to Jackson family attorney Brian Panish in TMZ's new documentary "Michael Jackson: 30 Fatal Seconds," the Pepsi incident caused the pop star to suffer from drug misuse and low self-esteem for the rest of his life.
On June 25, 2009, Jackson, at 50 years old, passed away from acute propofol intoxication. According to Mayo Clinic, before and during surgery or other medical procedures, propofol injections are used to help you relax or fall asleep.
