David Rothenberg — who touched the hearts of millions after being set aflame by his abusive father in 1983 — has passed away in Las Vegas on July 15 at the age of 42. David was 6 years old when his crazed father soaked his sleeping son with three gallons of kerosene, and then set David afire. His father fled from the California motel room where he had ran off with David during a custody dispute with his wife, and left David suffering terrible burns over 90 percent of his body. But despite doctors only giving him 24 hours to live, brave David refused to die. Instead, the young boy would go public as the face of shocking child abuse. He later appeared with Hunter Tylo in the role of a burn counselor on episodes of “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 1997, and also found fame as part of superstar Michael Jackson’s inner circle.
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David — who changed his name to "Dave Dave" — had found a following in Las Vegas as an artist. He discussed his friendship with Michael Jackson after the King of Pop's sudden death in 2009, saying: “I wanted to meet him, and he wanted to meet me, and that just turned into a lifelong relationship that never ended. It was amazing being friends with Michael Jackson. He was an amazing person.”
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The cause of death was originally reported as heat exhaustion, which is a common risk for survivors of burn injuries. Shockingly, David's father was sentenced to only 13 years in prison after the horrific crime — and was paroled after only seven years behind bars. Charles Rothenberg later changed his name to Charley Charles. In 2007, citing a three-strikes law, David's father was given a sentence of 25 years to life after two weapons convictions in San Francisco.
David — who changed his name to "Dave Dave" — had found a following in Las Vegas as an artist. He discussed his friendship with Michael Jackson after the King of Pop's sudden death in 2009, saying: “I wanted to meet him, and he wanted to meet me, and that just turned into a lifelong relationship that never ended. It was amazing being friends with Michael Jackson. He was an amazing person.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
The cause of death was originally reported as heat exhaustion, which is a common risk for survivors of burn injuries. Shockingly, David's father was sentenced to only 13 years in prison after the horrific crime — and was paroled after only seven years behind bars. Charles Rothenberg later changed his name to Charley Charles. In 2007, citing a three-strikes law, David's father was given a sentence of 25 years to life after two weapons convictions in San Francisco.
Photo credit: Getty/Files
