The new film Michael recreates the shocking moment the superstar’s hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.
Jaafar Jackson reflects on playing his uncle in ‘Michael’ premiere
Jaafar Jackson reflected on playing his uncle Michael Jackson in the biopic “Michael” and talked about how he prepared for the role.
Spoiler alert! We are discussing major details about the plot of the Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’.
Yes, Michael Jackson’s new movie will feature hits ranging from “ABC” to “Human Nature.”
But Michael (in theaters April 24) revisits one of the most traumatic chapters in the King of Pop’s life.
On January 27, 1984, the then 25-year-old superstar filmed a Pepsi commercial in front of an audience of 3,000 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Filming went smoothly until the sixth take, when he descended the stairs singing “Billie Jean.” Fireworks exploded behind him, showering the singer with sparks and setting his hair on fire.
As depicted in the film, he continued to perform for several seconds until the back of his head was engulfed in flames.
According to a BBC news article published at the time, Jackson’s brothers and crew members rushed to help, covering their flaming hair with jackets. He was wearing dazzling silver gloves when he was taken to the hospital.
Audiences reported that he remained calm throughout the freak accident, and some even thought it was part of the act.
“He was amazing,” fan Virginia Watson told the BBC. “Even as he was being carried away on a stretcher, he reassured people.”
Michael Jackson suffered severe burns and hair loss while filming a Pepsi commercial
Jackson was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and then transferred to the Burn Center at Brotman Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for second- and third-degree burns. He also suffered from severe alopecia.
According to a United Press International (UPI) article published at the time, he was discharged from the hospital just one day later, against doctors’ recommendations. He underwent outpatient treatment over the next few months, including surgery three months later to remove scar tissue from his scalp.
“We recommended that Michael stay, but we determined that this could be done just as well outside the hospital as inside,” Dr. Steve Heflin told reporters at Brotman Medical Center. “Despite our recommendations, he felt he wanted outpatient treatment.
“He seemed very happy,” Heflin said. “After a good night’s sleep, he is feeling better. He is in very good health and is showing signs of a very rapid recovery. We are very pleased that he did not have severe burns.”
Pat Lavalas, a nurse at Brotman Hospital, said Jackson received numerous phone calls, including well wishes from singers Teddy Pendergrass and Stephanie Mills.
“He left in good spirits and is in good condition,” Lavalas said, according to a UPI report. “He didn’t tell us about the accident. This morning he was watching ‘American Bandstand’ and people were getting autographs from him.
“He was singing Stephanie Mills songs in the bathroom,” she added. “He was lying in bed and opened the telegram, and he was furious to see a telegram from a fan that said, “I know you’re hot, but this is ridiculous.”
Was Michael Jackson’s alleged drug problem caused by the Pepsi incident?
As shown in “Michael,” Jackson settled with Pepsi for $1.5 million (about $4.9 million today, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). He donated all the money to Brotman and continued to visit patients long after treatment.
One month after the incident, on February 28, 1984, Jackson won eight Grammy Awards (the most in one night), including Album of the Year (Thriller) and Record of the Year (Beat It). That July, he embarked on a month-long national victory tour with his brothers.
Despite the tragedy, Pepsi commercials were still airing. Footage of the accident was obtained and published by Us Weekly in 2009.
Over the years, there have been various reports speculating about what went wrong during the fateful Pepsi shoot. The Los Angeles Fire Department chief told TMZ that he heard commercial director Bob Girardi telling Jackson to stay longer at the top of the stairs so the fireworks would “look more majestic.” As a result, he was directly under the shower of sparks when the fireworks exploded.
Capt. Don Donester told TMZ in 2009, “It looked like he came out of the smoke, which was completely against instructions and didn’t let us know about the change.” “I waited until he got to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed him around the waist and pulled him down.”
In an interview with TMZ, Girardi denied Donester’s claims.
Although media reports over the years have suggested that Jackson’s hair products made her hair more susceptible to burning, Donester told Access Hollywood in 2009 that Jackson’s heavy use of gel may have actually “slowed down the burning of her hair.”
Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 from acute propofol poisoning. In TMZ’s new documentary, Michael Jackson: 30 Fatal Seconds, Jackson family attorney Brian Panish claims the Pepsi incident was the catalyst for the pop star’s lifelong battle with drug abuse and self-esteem.
“I believe that the Pepsi commercial led to Michael’s serious downfall,” Panish said in the documentary. “He had extensive plastic surgery, skin grafts. They took skin from other parts of his body to repair the damaged areas. He was in severe pain, debilitating pain. He also had neuropathic pain, which is nerve pain in the scalp. The pain caused anxiety and, really most importantly, led to lack of sleep. The pain, the inability to sleep, made the pain even worse.”
“Patients shouldn’t be telling their doctors what medications to take,” Panish said. “Doctors should be held accountable. And in this case, I think Michael was responsible.”
