Friday, 17 July 2009

Pepsi fuming over Jackson fire footage

Bosses at soda giant Pepsi are baffled as to how previously unseen footage of Michael Jackson's hair setting on fire during a 1984 commercial has been leaked into the public arena.

The shocking video of the Thriller hitmaker's Pepsi ad was leaked onto the internet earlier this week and has caused a stir around the world.

In the video, the singer can be seen appearing on-stage as pyrotechnics explode, with the sparks from the fireworks setting Jackson's hair alight.

The late superstar continues to sing and dance for seconds, unaware his head is engulfed in flames, before stagehands leap on him and extinguish the blaze.

The incident left Jackson with second and third-degree burns on his scalp and body. He required a series of operations, and was left in severe pain.

And Pepsi executives can't believe the footage has now been leaked following the star's untimely demise - insisting they don't understand why anybody would want to watch such grisly footage.

Pepsi spokeswoman Nicole Bradley says in a statement, "We don't know how the footage became available. Twenty-five years later, we'd question why anyone would want to share such frightening images. It was a terrifying event that we'll never forget. We were grateful for Michael's recovery and for the chance to continue working with him on a number of successful projects.

"As for Michael as an artist, his music helped us define a generation and, like everyone else, we're deeply saddened by his passing."

But Bradley admits the company is helpless to try and retract the footage - claiming it is not known who the video belongs to.

She explains, "We don't know what that footage is. It's 25 years ago. We don't know who owns it, so we have no recourse as far as I know. I can only tell you what I know. We didn't put it up and we don't know where it came from."

It has been claimed painkillers prescribed to Jackson after the accident kick-started his addiction to strong medication, and the damage to his scalp explains rumours he was completely bald at the time of his death last month from a cardiac arrest.

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...