Horrifying video of Michael Jackson's fiery 1984 accident released

Us Weekly got its hands on previously unreleased video of Michael Jackson's hair catching on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

The disturbing video, posted at usmagazine.com feeds long-held speculation that drug treatments Jackson received after the accident led to his addiction to prescription drugs, including powerful painkillers.

Jackson himself said as much in 2003. "As you may already know, after my tour ended I remained outside the country undergoing treatment for a dependency on pain medication," he said then. "This medication was initially prescribed for the excruciating pain that I was suffering after recent reconstructive surgery on my scalp."

The accident happened while Jackson and his brothers were filming a commercial for Pepsi at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 27, 1984.

The footage shows pyrotechnics exploding around Jackson as he prepares to walk down a set of stairs onto the stage. Flames, that apparently ignite the hair products he was wearing, quickly envelope his head as he continues dancing for a few seconds before he realizes his head is on fire.

He drops onto the ground as stage hands swarm him and put out the fire. Jackson sustained second- and third-degree burns in the fire, which clearly left a large bald spot on top of his head.

Us Weekly would not divulge where it got the footage.

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