# Did Michael Jackson Sue Pepsi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185 "2009-07-16T02:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clovernook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Clovernook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clovernook)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/1 "2009-07-16T02:34:26Z")
Did he ever sue Pepsi for his burn injuries, pain and suffering, etc. arising from the fire on his hair during the filming of that commercial? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/2 "2009-07-16T02:48:24Z")
In his biography by Randy Taraborelli, it said that he originally wanted to, and was planning on airing the footage of him on fire, but then there was an out of court settlement. He used the money to set up a burn center. ---
**Author:** ![Clovernook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Clovernook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clovernook)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/3 "2009-07-16T02:59:28Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > In his biography by Randy Taraborelli, it said that he originally wanted to, and was planning on airing the footage of him on fire, but then there was an out of court settlement. He used the money to set up a burn center. That’s a nice ending to that story. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/4 "2009-07-16T03:09:26Z")
But then the burn center went bankrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Clovernook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Clovernook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clovernook)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/5 "2009-07-16T03:10:17Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > But then the burn center went bankrupt. So it’s not such a good ending. ---
**Author:** ![Ourrah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ourrah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ourrah)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/6 "2009-07-16T03:43:18Z")
And then he started sleeping with children, sooooo again not such a good ending. ---
**Author:** ![straggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@straggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straggler)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/7 "2009-07-16T07:19:07Z")
Why has this footage all of a sudden surfaced? Who had copies of it? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/8 "2009-07-16T08:38:54Z")
The bankruptcy court was cursed. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/9 "2009-07-16T13:59:16Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > The bankruptcy court was cursed. But it comes with a free frogurt! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/10 "2009-07-16T14:03:50Z")
The frogurt is also cursed. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/11 "2009-07-16T14:10:04Z")
Can I go now? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/12 "2009-07-16T15:03:20Z")
Not until you’ve seen the video: [Us magazine posts video of Michael Jackson's hair on fire - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/15/jackson.video/index.html) What surprised me was how long he seemed to be unaware that his hair was on fire. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/13 "2009-07-16T15:07:51Z")
Yeah. I read that he kept dancing in the biography, unaware that he’s on fire, but I didn’t realize just how long he was dancing. In fact, he doesn’t stop until he’s knocked to the ground by his brothers and the crew. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/14 "2009-07-16T15:24:56Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > The frogurt is also cursed. You guys are great. I was thinking of the same freakin’ thing when I started reading this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/15 "2009-07-16T15:27:47Z")
I don’t understand this thread at all, but I get the feeling it would be hilarious if I did. Frogurt? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/16 "2009-07-16T15:28:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I don’t understand this thread at all. > > Frogurt? Simpsons did it! It’s a reference to a conversation in one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes where Homer buys Bart a haunted Krusty doll. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/17 "2009-07-16T15:34:28Z")
Ohhhh. Thanks. 🙂 Does it start with the burn center going bankrupt, or did that really happen? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/18 "2009-07-16T15:37:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Ohhhh. Thanks. 🙂 > > Does it start with the burn center going bankrupt, or did that really happen? That really happened. Or it closed down anyway–that’s what I read in the biography by Randy Taraborelli but I can’t find a cite for it online. Here’s the Simpsons’ exchange. From [here](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/9F04.html): > [@](#): > > Owner: Take this object, but beware it carries a terrible curse! > Homer: [worried] Ooooh, that’s bad. > Owner: But it comes with a free Frogurt! > Homer: [relieved] That’s good. > Owner: The Frogurt is also cursed. > Homer: [worried] That’s bad. > Owner: But you get your choice of topping! > Homer: [relieved] That’s good. > Owner: The toppings contains Potassium Benzoate. > Homer: [stares] > Owner: That’s bad. Then Homer asks if he can go now. Check it out some time–it’s a great all around episode. Treehouse of Horror III. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-michael-jackson-sue-pepsi/503185/19 "2009-07-16T17:12:46Z")
Behold! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r\_pqnsKWlpc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_pqnsKWlpc)