Michael Jackson suffered burns filming an ad, then donated $1.5M settlement to help victims

Michael Jackson (AP photo) Michael Jackson suffered severe scalp burns on January 27, 1984, when his hair caught fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The shoot featured a staged musical performance complete with pyrotechnics, but sparks ignited his hair as he descended a staircase. The accident left the pop star with second-degree burns to his scalp and a small area of third-degree burns, requiring medical treatment and a lengthy recovery. Jackson was taken to Brotman Memorial Hospital in Culver City, California, where he received treatment in the burn unit. He later donated the reported $1.5 million settlement from the incident to support burn care, research and reconstructive surgery for other patients, turning a painful episode in his life into an effort to help people facing similar injuries.How Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire during the Pepsi commercial shootThe accident happened during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in which Jackson was performing a choreographed musical sequence. As he moved down a staircase, pyrotechnics were set off behind him. Sparks landed on his hair, which quickly caught fire in front of the produc...