Michael Jackson was just 122lbs and had been surviving on pills when he died in June 2009 – and his autopsy report made for distressing reading

Michael Jackson died in 2009 and his autopsy report made for a gruelling read for fans(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

By his untimely demise in June 2009, Michael Jackson had transformed from an electrifying stage performer to a figure of tragedy, wasting away to a mere 122lbs. His final days were plagued by invasive surgeries, a crippling prescription drug habit, and what seemed to be a struggle with anorexia.

The pop icon’s autopsy painted a harrowing image. At 50 years old, Jackson’s body harbored no food, only partially dissolved tablets, indicating he may have been subsisting on just one small meal per day.

His frame bore the telltale signs of frequent injections, as evidenced by numerous needle marks on his thighs, hips, and shoulders. Not just his health, but even his appearance was artificial—his lips had been permanently colored pink through tattoos, as were his eyebrows, while his scalp bore tattoos to mimic a hairline.

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Michael Jackson, from his days as part of The Jackson 5

Billie Jean singer Jacko was hit with law suits in his final years(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The legend also had unexplained bruises on his knees and shins, cuts on his back suggestive of a recent fall, and his skin showed the patchwork effects of vitiligo.

Yet perhaps one of the most unsettling discoveries was that his once-luscious, shoulder-length locks were nothing more than a wig affixed to his head, concealing a scarred and mostly bald scalp, with only sparse tufts remaining.

“He was skin and bone, his hair had fallen out, and he had been eating nothing but pills when he died,” a source disclosed to The Sun, adding yet another layer to the sadness surrounding the star’s last moments.

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Michael Jackson died with barely any food in his stomach(Image: The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

The star, who had been famous for more than four decades, died while rehearsing for a huge comeback show in London(Image: Getty Images)

“Injection marks all over his body and the disfigurement caused by years of plastic surgery show he’d been in terminal decline for some years.”

Jackson is thought to have first started wearing a wig after his hair caught fire during filming for a 1984 Pepsi commercial, resulting in second and third degree burns. The shoot at LA’s Shrine Auditorium required him to dance down a short flight of stairs as fireworks were set off around him.

However, a technical glitch during the sixth take saw the pyrotechnics explode too early, causing sparks to ignite Jackson’s heavily gelled hair before it burst into flames. The star was eventually carried out on a stretcher, with a bald, burning patch above his left ear clearly visible.

It has often been speculated that the accident marked the beginning of the singer’s pill addiction. He was prescribed strong pain killers to cope with the agony of the burns to his scalp and face and went on to develop an addiction to prescription medication – a dependency that would ultimately lead to his d.e.a.t.h.