There was much and more to take in at the 2023 Oscars ceremony last night.
Everything Everywhere All At Once dominated the awards, while there was individual success for the likes of Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan.
Yet amongst the pomp, grandeur, and trophies, there was a moment involving Morgan Freeman that might have gone missed by many at the 95th Academy Awards. Fortunately, there were eagle-eyed fans who spotted it and commented in their droves on social media.
Freeman took to the stage alongside actress Margot Robbie to celebrate 100 years of Warner Brothers, but he did so wearing an elbow length black glove on his left hand. As it turns out, the reason behind that specific wardrobe decision was rather heartbreaking indeed …
Morgan Freeman is one of the most iconic, recognizable actors of his generation. Which is why when he emerged on stage at this year’s Oscars gala last night, fans wondered over the fact that he had donned a black glove. Stylistic preference, perhaps? A nod to a previous character he’s played?
No, actually, as it happens there’s a rather more somber explanation.
According to reports, Freeman, 85, has been forced to wear the glove since 2008, when he was involved in a serious car accident in Mississippi.
The Se7en actor had been driving home late one night when his car veered off the road, flipping several times before coming to an eventual stop in a ditch.
As per The Guardian, paramedics were quick to reach the scene but had to use hydraulic cutters to free the actor from his vehicle. Freeman was said to have been conscious throughout the ordeal and continued to make jokes with his rescuers.
The then-71-year-old actor’s injuries were fairly serious, however, and he had to be flown to a Memphis hospital located over 100 miles away from the scene of the crash.
Freeman was treated for multiple broken bones and had to undergo a four-hour surgery to have his left arm reset.
Unfortunately, the incident left the actor with permanent nerve damage and considerable pain in his shoulder. After the accident, Freeman was unable to move his limb properly, causing it to swell and requiring that he wear a compression glove to keep the symptoms in check.
Back in 2010, two years after the accident, Freeman spoke to People magazine and told them that he had never fully recovered from his injury.
“If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up,” the Shawshank Redemption star explained. “Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?”
I didn’t even know about Morgan Freeman’s terrible car accident, let alone the injury he continues to live with to this day!
