Michael Jackson or Dave Dave?

Michael Jackson is still alive and masquerading as a burns victim, website claims



Michael Jackson as he looked in 2002 / AP

* Conspiracy website gets a million hits daily
* Claims Jacko alive and living as burns victim
* Shooting Stars: Week's hottest celeb photos

A WEBSITE which claims U.S. singer Michael Jackson is still alive and masquerading as a burns victim is clocking up an astonishing one million hits per day.

Internet rumours on YouTube and Facebook also claim the King of Pop is appearing on TV talk shows as Dave Dave, 33, a man who suffered severe facial disfigurement after his father set him on fire the Sun reports.

Dave was born David Rothenberg, in Brooklyn, New York. In 1983, aged just six, he survived a terrifying attack by his own father.

In a twisted attempt at revenge over a custody disagreement Charles Rothenberg poured kerosene over his little boy while he slept in a Californian hotel room and set him alight. Rothenberg later served six years in jail for the crime. The boy suffered more than 90 percent burns and amazingly survived, but was left badly scarred.

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His mother Marie, who later wrote a book about her son's ordeal which was turned into a TV movie, organized a trip to Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch as a treat, and the singing legend took the boy under his wing.

Dave, now a law student living in Utah, changed his surname to break all ties with his father.

Dave appeared on the Larry King show to talk about his memories of Jackson on the day of the star's memorial service last year.

But the show sparked a series of rumors which have snowballed into an internet sensation and become a huge talking point on michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com.

Many bloggers have said Dave's high-pitched voice bears a remarkable resemblance to the singing legend's, and observers claim his eyes have changed color from his previous blue/green to brown.

Read more, and see Dave Dave, at the Sun.