Michael Jackson Pepsi Commercial Led to His Downfall and Death

Michael Jackson's downfall can be directly traced to the 1984 Pepsi commercial that set his hair ablaze ... and we connect the dots in our new documentary -- "TMZ Presents: Michael Jackson: 30 Fatal Seconds."

We reveal shocking, never-before-seen footage of the infamous fire that engulfed Michael's head at the Shrine Auditorium in Downtown L.A.

Brian Panish, the attorney for the Jackson family, believes the Pepsi commercial incident is what ultimately led to Michael's death.

Motown Productions former president Suzanne De Passe says what happened to Michael was so egregious, she's surprised he didn't end up owning Pepsi. She believes every aspect of Michael's life was negatively impacted on that fateful day ... telling us it was a heartbreaking, sad and horrible moment in Michael's life.

The Pepsi commercial left the King of Pop with severe third-degree burns and led to his obsession with plastic surgery, a severe narcotics addiction ... and eventually his death. And we point fingers at doctors who betrayed Michael by fueling his addiction as a way of ingratiating themselves with a big celebrity.