Pepsi has responded to yesterday’s appearance on the internet of footage of Michael Jackson being burned while filming an ad for the soft drink in 1984. Contacted by EW about the material, which was posted by US Weekly, Pepsi spokeswoman Nicole Bradley sent the following 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.”
Bradley also told EW that the company is not currently attempting to get the footage taken down and that Pepsi itself may well not own the rights to the material. “We don’t know where it came from,” she says. “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.”
More about Michael Jackson:
Michael Jackson and the history of the Moonwalk: YouTube explains it all!
Michael Jackson talks Bad, price of fame in unreleased 1987 interview
Michael Jackson: The truth about his “final” photo shoot
Michael Jackson tribute: Who should perform?
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Summer ‘09 Playlist: Refresh!
‘The Girls’ Guide to Rocking’: Can you learn it from a book?
Worst cover song of 2009? We have a winner!
Lady GaGa joins Avril Lavigne and Ace of Base(!) in Billboard history
New Mariah Carey video for “Obsessed.”
//
Comments (1-30) of 177 Add your comment
My thoughts excatly! Why would anyone want or care to see this. What’s worst…you see it on the news! How is this news. Really milking his death.
Let me the man rest.
http://tvdonewright.com/
A-freakin-men, Pepsi!
There’s a nice warm seat in hell for whoever drudged that up and put it out there. Congrats- you’re a massive d-bag.
I saw it once and really dont need to see it again. Its rather horrifying
Nice response Pepsi-Co.
Get over it people- your reactions are representative of all the enablers that Michael had to put up with in his life. Cover up the pain-here’s some pills. It’s too horrible to deal with-here’s some pills to ease your pain. Oh my God! Yes it was horrible-but it shows those of us who really cared-what he actually went through and gives insight into what might have gone wrong. You look at the images not the stories. You listen to MICHAEL and then the images. Michael was a public figure-this event didn’t happen in his kitchen. I can’t believe the quantity of enablers in this world and they don’t even see it!
Okay, I’m sort of with Pepsi on this one. Releasing the footage wasn’t necessary, but any goodwill I feel towards that statement is gone by Pepsi’s comment that ‘his music helped us define a generation’. Helped. US. Define a generation. Arrogant much? It is presumptuous, inappropriate and downright absurd to equate sales of a soft drink with a, recently deceased, man who led pop culture in the 1980s.
Ellen – I really think they were referring to a collective US. Not MJ and Pepsi – ALL of us.
lovemichaelforever: You are the only one who sounds like an enabler. There is no reason why this footage was shown other than greed. Someone had this footage–notice the cameraperson never stopped SHOOTING, even AFTER the incident. Voyeur much?
Anyway, someone got paid by US Magazine for this “exclusive” footage. And for what? So we all can gawk at someone’s pain? There’s nothing instructive in seeing this. Get outta here with that nonsense.
I was so disgusted I went an email to US Magazine as well. It is beyond me for any logical reasoning for the release of this video. It’s disrespectful of a very traumatic experience that did NOT have to be showcased around the world regardless of how widely popular Michael was as a person/entertainer. Foe this video to be released is such a disgrace to the media (as if they are already glowing examples of being humane) My only hope is to flip the malice that i believe was intended in showing this footage and help those who didn’t understand before that his injuries were quite serious and was the beginning of some very trying and painful times for him. RIP Michael
I think it is very in sain to show the pepsi accident.MJ went through enough in his life.What does the media and these sick people get off on watching someone get hurt.This country sure has turned in a wrong direction.Let MJ and his family have peace. I want to remember MJ as the great entertainer and master of music and the great giving person he was.
I thought it was pretty funny, especially when his head burst into flames, and then all the Black Panther guys came to put him out, lol!
Allan. You’re as low as the rag mag that put the video out there.
i was saddened to to hear that this footage was released… when they showed it on the news i was horrified and saddened…who wants to watch someone go through that kind of pain? it just looked like it hurt sooo bad, I could only thank God that he recovred from that incident and that he and pepsi were able to remain on good terms after (not all of us would have been so forgiving). I wish that this footage wouldve have remained locked away wherever it was. Whoever thought immediately following his death was a good time to release it needs to learn about empathy and sensitivity….. we miss you MJ
http://www.luxedelux.onsugar.com
I think putting up the footage was very low. And for the guy to say the “Black Panthers” came and put it out for him… you are sick…it really shows how little we have grown as a nation and makes you wonder are we really in 2009 or still in 1909?
I bet someone that went through MJ’s personal belongings after his death found the footage and attempted to make a quick buck. It’s sad that even after his death we still attempt to torment his image, but in a small way it opens a door into the pain he went through and what started his addiction to pain pills and plastic surgery. Life is so strange, Pepsi filmed that footage five time before the freak accident happened. You would think five times is enough footage. If that didn’t happen, who knows how much MJ would have changed.
the truth will out. remember the things that law firms ask seem inconsequential? well, its the truth issue. people want the truth or nothing at all. not all the b’/sh0*
Pepsi was negligent and responsible for MJ’s hair catching on fire, that certainly contributed greatly to his addiction to painkillers and caused his death. I can only imagine the physical pain he managed since this time.
I won’t drink Pepsi ever again.
That was so HORRIBLE to see. I actually remember when that happened. I was 18yrs old and I remember crying my eyes out after hearing about it on t.v. It was terrible hearing about it but to actually see it was horrifying. I don’t know why someone would want to show Michael’s pain. People will do anything to make a “buck”
Waaaah. For everyone that is “shocked” that this video is out there, see…they have this thing called the internet. And it’s essentially any open forum for anything and everything imaginable, to people cleaning toilets on YouTube to daily twitters about nothing to Ireports from people with no journalistic integrity. If you want Sex, you got it. Violence, you got it. Infdelity, depravity, joy, heartbreak, disgust, love, hate, death…you got it.
And it’s because we’re the ones who asked for it all.
So drop the shocked facade, the useless EW forum grandstanding because it somehow, in someway, through some self-justification makes you appear to have a conscience. It’s a product of where and who we are as a society; it is who we are.
And you’d have to be living in a cave somewhere not to have realized it.
I saw it once last night on television, changed the channel before it was over and that was it, it sickened and horrified me…although I know it showed many more times I didn’t watch it. The man is dead…his family has to deal with that loss…why keep showing more painful disturbing images of him. Imagine if his children were to see that???? Whoever sold that video to the scum who bought it should be ashamed. I will NEVER purchase or read US magazine again, and Pepsi was very diplomatic in their repsonse. Please can’t we let this man have the peace in death that he never had in life? Can we go through 1 day without awful stories about him. He is gone…it’s tragic for a man his age, regardless of the reason. Please just let him rest and give us all a break…and most importantly think of his children seeing those kinds of images…would you want your child to see something like that if something happened to you?
To John…yes we have the Internet and like a television we can choose to watch or not watch what we want and I certainly have never asked to see the garbage that is put out there nor would I watch it. The Internet has opened up the world for people to see wonders they would never see; some choose to use it for the wrong reasons. I absolutely have a conscience and I believe it’s a small part of our society that goes in for the depravity on the Internet. You choose what you look at on the Internet…I choose not to watch the types of things you mention and I believe I am in the majority…you are seriously disturbed if that is how you feel.
As horrible as that video was, and shame on whoever put it out there…I have to agree with John. It should come as no surprise to anyone that someone out there was a** enough to put it in the public eye. And for all of you condemning that having happened, how many of you clicked on the video or continued watching the news when you knew beforehand what you were about to see? I know I did…who else wants to fess up?
I’m glad Pepsi made a comment, I was ready to boycott all products of Pepsi because I assumed they put the video out. Who would do something so disgraceful? I thought it was going to be the tape of him being rolled out on the stretcher, I was devastated when I saw what actually happened, who enjoys watching someone on fire?
What’s the big deal with showing the video? How many times has JFK getting shot in the head been shown all over the world? This is nothing compared to that. Give me a break all you “shocked” bandwagon whiners.
Pepsi killed MJ.
I agree with lovemichaelforever. First off, let me say that we all know that EVERYTHING the media does is for profit. And MJ was their dinner on many occasions. With that said, this is one video that does clear up a story that has never been fully explained to us. It is obvious from that footage that he didn’t just get a little burn equivalent to touching something hot. He was literally on fire. He received injury that makes it clear that pain medications would be needed for an extended period, if not the rest of his life. And if MJ can deal with that pain for a long period in his life, I can certainly be strong enough to see it and feel a stronger bond with what he dealt with in his life. I am confused on Pepsi’ response. They gave no additional apology (perhaps someone else was responsible)? How can they say “We were grateful for Michael’s recovery” while we continue to get stories that MJ never fully recovered from this injury?
They should have aired this information when it happened so people could see it and move on.
I refuse to watch that footage. There was a reason it was never shown. I do not want to see MJ catching fire any more than I want to see this “stars” without bras and underwear. I appreciate Pepsi with making a statement but my question is if it wasn’t Pepsi, who taped it and decided to get their 5 min. of fame after MJs death by putting it on the net. Horrible people in this world.
* they should have aired this when it happened instead of keeping it such a secret all these years so the fans could see it and get over it. It’s just putting salt in an old wound.
I agree, it is a horrifying accident to watch. But it is also an important, historical document of a pivotal event in Michael’s life with consequences that would reverberate throughout his life.
Remember – his hair AND his face got burned (he had to endure painful skin grafts), which probably lead to his obsession with plastic surgery. AND his addiction to painkillers.
As ugly and distressing it is to see, anyone seeking the “truth” behind some of Michael’s strange behaviour needs to see this footage – it explains alot!!!