Morgan Freeman’s Life-Altering Car Crash ( Photo Credit – Flickr )
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Morgan Freeman was driving a friend’s old Nissan Maxima one late night in Mississippi in August of 2008. He was 71-years-old at that time and the quiet drive took a quick and sudden turn when the car left the roadway and rolled, multiple times, with Freeman and a passenger inside. The emergency crews had to cut them out using heavy rescue equipment as it was not a minor crash by any means and it left both of them seriously hurt.
Morgan Freeman Suffered Serious Injuries After the Crash
Freeman, although he was conscious and even cracked jokes with responders at the time of the ordeal, had broken his left shoulder, arm, and elbow. Within two days he was in surgery to fix the damage and even though the procedure was a success in some ways, the nerves in his arm didn’t fully recover. The worst part that came out from the accident was Freeman’s left hand never moved the same way again.
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Why Morgan Freeman Wears a Compression Glove
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ star explained the result in simple terms after many years. He disclosed that the fingers stopped working as the blood doesn’t flow properly and the hand began to swell if left unattended. Alongside that, Freeman developed fibromyalgia in his damaged arm and the most excruciating of all, the pain would come in sharp waves which sometimes left him wincing in silence.
At first, people noticed a black glove on his left hand, which was later revealed to be a compression glove that he wore soon after the crash. It helped keep blood circulating in the idle hand. Most didn’t think much of it until he wore it at the 2023 Oscars but by then, he had already worn it on talk shows and even on-screen in shows like Special Ops: Lioness.
This video of 86 years old Morgan Freeman that has got everyone worried.
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About His Hand: Morgan Freeman was involved in an accident many years ago that damaged the nerves on his left hand, he has to wear that glove to help control the pain.
The doctors ruled out alcohol after the crash but a lawsuit soon followed from his passenger which was later settled out of court. The real cause turned out to be a medical issue in which Freeman had blacked out due to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Subsequently, not long after, doctors fitted him with a pacemaker.
Morgan Freeman’s Life After the Accident
The crash did not stop Freeman from working even though it changed his body for good. He returned to acting quickly but had to adjust to new limitations. Some passions couldn’t be salvaged as sailing, for example, was one of his favorite pastimes which he had picked up in his 60s.
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However, with one working hand, docking a boat became too dangerous for him and the last time he tried, he couldn’t even bring it back in. That day marked the end of his sailing days. “It was complete isolation,” he explained, per Far Out Magazine, “It was the best way for me to find quiet; how I found time to read”.
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But, Freeman, the type of person he is, never let pain take the front seat in his story. He moved on and interestingly, golf became his outlet. He plays the game with one hand, using only his right arm to swing.
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The glove, the pain, and the limits are all part of his reality but they’ve never stopped his drive or spirit.
