Four years later, the superstar married nurse Debbie Rowe. Some studio audience members said he was so calm, they thought the incident was part of the act. Copyright 2022 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Peter Carrette Archive/Getty Images. A senior law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News that Jackson was "heavily addicted" to the painkiller Demerol and received "daily doses" of OxyContin. Jackson was eventually charged with numerous counts related to child molestation, but a 2005 trial delivered a not guilty verdict. "It wasn't a spider bite. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? 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. Yes, the doctors gave him medicine," but told the interviewer that to say this incident alone was the cause of what came later was not justified. 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 pushing the soft drink. He was set ablaze by the fireworks, suffering second-degree burns to his scalp and losing some of his hair. It is believed to be the real Michael Jackson, who was injured during this time period. All rights reserved. When footage of the incident emerged following Jackson's death in 2009, however, not everyone was convinced that the moment in question was the direct cause of the drug dependency that would eventually kill him. Later reports blamed the 1984 accident for Jackson's addiction to painkillers; he died of an accidental drug overdose in 2009. Donester said the hair products Jackson was wearing might have actually slowed the burning. On January 27 . [INFO]Is Michael Jackson the best selling artist of all time? Jackson, who spent years with his brothers as the Jackson Five on the Motown label, stepped out on his own in 1980 with the album "Off the Wall." "It wasn't a spider bite. One recent incident that has had some light shed on it, is a near-fatal accident whilst MJ was on tour promoting Dangerous. It was the only tour with all six Jackson brothers, even though Jackie was injured for some of it. What happened if we would have known what was going to be done, the communications were good until that point. Jackson was prescribed the painkiller Darvocet, it was banned later for its potentially harmful side-effects. 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.". The autopsy held on Jacksons body after he died on July 25, 2009, later confirmed he still had bald parts on his head. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. Subsequently, you know, catching his hair on fire, Donester told Access Hollywood on Friday. She added, "LA investigators asked us not to share any information about any substance food, drink, or otherwise that Jackson may have taken. He caused a media stir months later, when he dangled the baby off the third floor balcony of a Berlin Hotel in an effort to show the child off to fans. It was later reported that the pain Jackson suffered on his scalp from the burns was prolonged and led to his prescription pill addiction. 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. "Dr. Klein has been and is continuing to cooperate with Mr. Winter's office and their investigation into the death of Michael Jackson," Boyer said. ", How Michael Jackson Was Injured During One Of His Shows. At the time, the money was said to be earmarked for research into burn treatment, but Sherman said the burn center received no operating money from the fund. He had become hooked on the drugs after a being burned in a 1984 accident. Jackson suffered second degree burns in 1984 after his hair caught while filming an advert for Pepsi, with whom he and his brothers had signed a record-breaking 4million contract. Instar. Michael Jackson's name has become synonymous with Neverland Ranch a sprawling, gated compound he purchased in 1988. In an accident so surreal it could happen only to him, Michael was dancing down a staircase at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 27, 1984, when a smoke bomb ignited two feet from his pomaded . Michael Jackson, standing behind one of his brothers, at the moment his hair caught on fire (Photo via YouTube). Hoefflin is now retired and could not be reached by ABC News.com. There would, of course, also be legal action. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. One member of the audience, Virginia Watson, witnessed the accident. Michael Jackson's 1984 pyrotechnics accident. Former LA City Fire Department Capt. 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 . But Brando said to conclude that this incident triggered the alleged addiction and the prescription painkillers Jackson was said to be taking at the time of his death is pure speculation. Michael is calling upon all networks to pull the video." It has been widely reported that in addition to Demerol and OxyContin, Jackson also abused the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the antidepressant Zoloft in the months before his death. When Michael Jackson emerges from the pile of people trying to help him, the top of his head is bald. Thats not true. Police have confirmed that several doctors who treated Jackson and are believed to have prescribed him drugs are being questioned or will be questioned. "It was done by the book.". Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The explosion was much larger. During the sixth take, some pyrotechnics went off bigger than expected, launching embers into Jacksons hair and face, leaving his head engulfed in flame. "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. As a result of the accident, Pepsi gave Jackson $1.5 million, which he donated to a burn center named after him. At first Jackson, wearing a sequined shirt, jacket and signature glove -- continues to dance unaware as flames and smoke emanate from his hair. Following the incident, Jacksonhis head bandaged and seen smiling even as he was in painwas rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Michael did some stretches to warm up, as the lights lowered in the house. 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. Indeed, he projects a personality of wide-eyed, vaguely androgynous innocence. Jackson, who won seven American Music Awards and has been nominated for a record 12 Grammys, was filming a series of Pepsi-Cola commercials to debut next month. A representative for Us Weekly had no immediate comment on where the video came from. His jacket also caught on fire. . Plastic surgeon Steven Hoeffin said Jackson, who was voted America's entertainer of the year, could need surgery to his head. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. It is because of this event that the star began wearing black wigs in later life. The performer's image was dealt a severe blow when he was accused of abusing Jordy Chandler at his Neverland ranch in 1993. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 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. The needle broke off.". The detectives also described the strange items found in Jackson's bedroom, which included a child's doll, needles, a noticeboard with young children on, and a number of bizarre post-it notes. Backup dancer Daryl Maze, who also can be seen in the raw footage coming to Jackson's aid said others saw Jackson's hair catch fire before the singer knew what had happened. 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. As a strongly private person away from show-business, not many people could . He also was taking Flurazepam, for his pain which was later marketed as Dalmane. The drugs that were meant to help him instead abruptly ended his life and, on the eve of a hugely anticipated return to live performance, shocked the singer's millions of devoted fans around the world. No hard feelings, though: Jackson later signed another deal with Pepsi, this time for $10 million. Killing Michael Jackson, which was released in the UK on Saturday, looks at Jacko's death and the events surrounding it. Describing Jacksons autopsy, Detective Dan Myers, also of the LAPD, said: Blood is drawn and then that blood is sent to a toxicology unit. We are investigating the death of Michael Jackson and we are contacting all of his doctors," Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told reporters. In 2002, Jackson was ordered to undergo a medical examination after he failed to show up in a California courtroom in a trial over breach of contract because the pop star said he had a spider bite. All rights reserved (About Us). Related:Thriller co-writer Rod Temperton dies, Michael Jackson in the aftermath of the incident, on his way to the hospital. Investigators removed several prescription drugs from Jackson's rented Holmby Hills mansion after his death, including the powerful sedative propfol, commonly used in operating rooms. Pepsi settled out of court with Jackson, and the performer donated the $1.5 million paymentto the Brotman Medical Center; its Michael Jackson Burn Center was subsequently named in his honor. The magazine also suggests that the accident kicked off Jackson's obsession with plastic surgery. In the video, he's still dancing as the flames are on his head. The burns never completely healed, leaving Jackson with scars across parts of his head and scalp for the rest of his life. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. "He was a friend of mine," Brando said. 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. Some absolutely atrocious accidents have befallen musicians over the years, including Jackson. And while addictive behavior is common to people who, like Jackson, lived through childhood trauma, it is possible to identify the times of great physical pain when the singer may have unfortunately gotten hooked. Today, a representative for Pepsi told EW's Music Mix that Three thousand fans saw a firework display erupt behind the . 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Michael Jackson has received hospital treatment for serious burns to his head after his hair caught light during a freak filming accident. "At this time, I don't think skin grafts are necessary.". His body was found covered in track marks consistent with intravenous drug use. There was a deviation in the plan and there was no communication between the people that deviated that plan and the fire safety officers. "It's hard to say," Miko Brando, a Jackson friend and son of the late actor Marlon Brando, told "Good Morning America." Inside sick Honeytrap plot that left man dead after women seduced and drugged him to steal his Rolex watches, Man had sex with his wife on bollard after fuming neighbour placed it in cul-de-sac in protest during parking row, Man, 42, killed after being hit by digger as driver arrested for gross negligence manslaughter, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). David Paulides Net Worth, Articles M