Various Artists News

(6/29/99, 1 a.m. PDT) - Nobody's disputing that Michael Jackson performed Sunday (June 27) night at his Michael Jackson And Friends: What More Can I Give? charity concert in Munich, Germany. However, what happened after the show is a bit of a mystery (LAUNCH, 6/28).

Reports say Jackson was taken to a local hospital after the concert ended, but the reason for the trip is up in the air. Reuters reported he was suffering from exhaustion and "circulatory collapse," while the Associated Press and the BBC reported that he was slightly burned by some onstage fireworks. All three cited sources saying Jackson was discharged a few hours later, and that there wasn't anything seriously wrong. Adding to the mystery, one of Michael Jackson's many fan-based websites said the singer fell more than 25 feet when part of his staging collapsed. The report went on to say that after being examined, Jackson was discharged from the hospital, but then suffered a "nervous breakdown" and had to spend Sunday night under doctor's supervision at the hospital.

Here's the real story, according to Jackson's office: The singer's representatives say that the staging did indeed malfunction during the "Bridge Of No Return" performance piece, and that Jackson did fall. He finished the song he was singing, performed his encore, and was taken to a local Munich hospital. An examination revealed Jackson suffered bumps and bruises, but no broken bones, no "nervous breakdowns," no burns, and no "circulatory collapse"--the only exhaustion he had was his usual level after a performance. As for the concert itself, approximately $1.6 million was raised for the three charities--UNESCO, Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund, and the International Red Cross.

-- Bruce Simon, New York

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