On November 12, 1993, Michael Jackson made an announcement few fans expected to hear.
He was in the middle of his massive Dangerous World Tour, performing for enormous audiences across the globe.
But Michael suddenly announced that the remaining concerts were being canceled.
The reason was intensely personal.
He said he had become addicted to prescription pain medication and needed professional treatment.
Michael delivered the news through a taped statement released by his publicist.
He explained that he had originally started taking pain medication following reconstructive surgery connected to the scalp injuries he suffered years earlier during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.
According to Michael, the medication had initially been used sparingly.
But during 1993, he said his reliance on it increased as he dealt with physical pain, the exhausting demands of touring and the intense pressure surrounding allegations being made against him at the time, which he denied.
Michael Jackson’s 1993 Statement About His Health
Michael did not try to present the situation as something he could simply push through.
He publicly acknowledged that he needed help.
“My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately,” he said, adding that it was time to acknowledge his need for treatment and regain his health.
That meant bringing the Dangerous World Tour to an abrupt end.
Michael said completing the tour was no longer possible and canceled all remaining dates. At the time, another performance had been scheduled in Puerto Rico only days later.
It was an extraordinary admission from one of the most famous entertainers on Earth.
Michael was only 35 years old, and the Dangerous era had already taken him through Europe, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the world.
Now the stage had to come second.
His lawyers later said he was expected to undergo approximately six to eight weeks of treatment outside the United States, although the location was deliberately kept private.
Elizabeth Taylor also played an important role during the crisis.
Taylor later said Michael’s doctor contacted her and asked whether she could help. She traveled to Mexico City and said she believed he needed specialized medical attention.
Weeks later, Michael spoke publicly again.
In a televised statement from Neverland on December 22, 1993, he said he had remained outside the country receiving treatment for what he then described as a “dependency on pain medication.”
That distinction is worth remembering.
Contemporary reports and Michael’s November statement used the word “addiction,” while Michael himself later described it as a dependency on prescribed pain medication.
Either way, his message in 1993 was unusually direct.
At the height of a huge international tour, Michael Jackson publicly acknowledged that his use of pain medication had become a serious problem.
And instead of continuing to perform, he canceled the rest of the tour and entered treatment.