A new TMZ special takes a closer look at the final moments in Michael Jackson’s life and how the King of Pop’s being injured while shooting a Pepsi commercial may have been directly linked to the superstar’s death.
Michael Jackson is considered one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century.
As the King of Pop, he achieved global success, producing the best-selling album in history, “Thriller.”
But at some point, something changed for the superstar.
“What happened to MJ? He was this lovable little kid. All of a sudden, as he became an adult, his life starts to unravel,” said Harvey Levin, the founder of TMZ.
TMZ answers that question in their special, “Michael Jackson: 30 Fatal Seconds.”
In 1984, Jackson filmed a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles, where a pyrotechnics malfunction set his hair on fire.
“We called this ’30 Fatal Seconds’ because that commercial, what happened that day, is directly connected to Michael Jackson’s death,” said Levin.
Jackson suffered second and third-degree burns on his scalp during that incident.
“Michael Jackson was not a drug addict before that Pepsi commercial was shot. He wasn’t a plastic surgery addict before that commercial. He became both as a direct result,” said Levin.
In the new special, TMZ shows never-before-seen footage from that commercial shoot.
“And it really shows what actually happened that day, and we get into who’s responsible for it,” said Levin.
TMZ also connects the dots from that 1984 commercial shoot incident to Jackson’s death in June 2009.
“Michael Jackson: 30 Fatal Seconds” premieres on Channel 7 at 9 p.m., Thursday night. It will then be available to stream on Hulu beginning on Friday.