In his first interview since the New Year’s Day accident that almost killed him, “Hawkeye” and “Mayor of Kingstown” actor Jeremy Renner sat down with ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer for an interview special which has just aired.
The special marked his first discussion about the accident involving the 14,300-pound snowcat, which left him with more than thirty broken bones as he tried to prevent his nephew from getting run over.
Regarding the accident, he doesn’t remember much beyond being face down, seeing one of his own eyes out of his socket with the other, and then feeling parts of his body being crushed.
Renner says he “lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience”, and the injuries were so extensive he was convinced at one point he was going to die: “If I was there on my own, that would have been a horrible way to die, and surely I would have. Surely. Surely, but I wasn’t alone. I was with my nephew, sweet Alex.”
Renner adds he even considered end-of-life decisions with his family right after the accident, telling them: “Don’t let me live on tubes on a machine… if my existence is going to be on drugs and painkillers, let me go now.”
Renner’s ribcage has been rebuilt with metal which will stay there for life, along with metal plates in his face to support his eyesocket and titanium rods in one of his legs. His sister Kim Renner talked about the time of the surgeries, saying: “It hurt. He cried from misery just because he couldn’t sleep.”
The actor says he doesn’t “really feel sensitivity to touch” on one whole side of his body but notices that it has changed already in two months and “it’ll grow”.
His vision is fine, but he doesn’t have feeling in his face and can hardly feel his teeth due to the plates they had to put in: “They put screws in my skull and my jaw to hold it with rubber bands. I’m learning to speak again.” Renner said the event still triggers him but has altered his thinking about it:
“I refuse to have that be a trauma and be a negative experience. That is a moment I’m proud of because I wouldn’t let that happen to my nephew. I shift the narrative of being victimized or making a mistake or anything else. I refused to be f—— haunted by that memory in that way.”
Renner also takes responsibility for what ultimately happened, saying at one point he wrote a note to apologize to his family: “I signed because I am. I’m sorry. I did that to them. That’s my responsibility. No, I feel bad that my actions caused so much pain.”
The actor has been providing updates on his hospitalization and treatment over the past three months, including his now at-home journey to recover. He currently uses an anti-gravity treadmill, strengthening exercises and electric stimulation workouts.
Source: THR
