Michael Jackson was famous for many things and is still considered one of the greatest musicians of all time. His extraordinary music, onstage performances, and music videos contributed to the King of Pop’s establishment as a global figure in popular culture. However, his personal life also increased his fame, particularly his changing appearance.
Due to being a child star with the Jackson 5, Michael grew up in front of the public eye. Thus, when his appearance started changing in the mid-’80s, it caught the media’s attention. Especially when his skin tone became much lighter, people speculated that Jackson was trying to become white, whereas he was diagnosed with the skin disorder vitiligo.
On top of his controversial skin color change, Jackson’s nose appeared to be much different, triggering widespread speculation of extensive cosmetic surgery. In reality, the superstar got his first nose job after breaking his nose during a rehearsal in 1979. The following rhinoplasties were done due to his breathing difficulties and trouble singing.
The only procedure Michale Jackson admitted to doing for cosmetic purposes was his chin dimpled, which he admitted in his 1988 autobiography ‘Moonwalk.’ However, surgeons speculated many other alterations such as a forehead lift, cheekbone surgery, and altered lips. As a matter of fact, many operations were done to the icon due to a horrible burning accident during the shooting of a commercial, and we’re here to break down the details for you.
Michael Jackson’s Face And Head Burned While Filming A Commercial
Since Michael Jackson was one of the biggest musicians in the entire world, he and his Jackson 5 brothers signed a $5 million endorsement deal with PepsiCo in 1983. The commercials were filmed in a concert environment at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles with an audience of 3,000, and the singer was supposed to perform his song, ‘Billie Jean.’
Everything seemed pretty standard in the set until the sixth take for the commercial as the pyrotechnics went off a bit too early when the singer was too close to them. As a result, the firework flames poured down on him, leaving the singer with second-degree burns on his scalp, and he lost some of his hair.
Fortunately, his brothers quickly helped extinguish the flames, and Jackson was rushed to the hospital to prevent further damage. That’s when the musician underwent treatment to hide the scars on his head and had his third nose job. Due to losing a portion of his hair, the King of Pop started wearing wigs after realizing his hair wouldn’t grow back properly.
It seems like the world was too quick to judge the musician, which is quite common when an artist turns into a global phenomenon. However, as most of his cosmetic surgeries were done due to stage accidents or health issues, the common idea that Michael Jackson changed his entire face to look different seems unfair.
You can see the moments when Michael Jackson caught fire below.
