What Happened to Jeremy Renner: His Brutal Accident Changed How He Sees Life (As He Still Fights to Fully Recover)

News about what happened to Jeremy Renner on January 1, 2023, shocked the world. A seemingly harmless mistake ended up almost costing him his life. The accident impacted him not only physically but mentally as well, leading him to change the way he goes through life and even releasing new music based on the difficult experience.

The accident happened on his own property.

On New Year’s Day, 2023, Jeremy Renner experienced a snowplow incident on his property in Reno, Nevada. He was using the snowplow to tow his nephew’s truck when the vehicle, which weighs at least 7 tons, accidentally ran over the actor.

Initially, it was thought that Renner had left the snowplow without activating the emergency brake after it started sliding down the hill, but was unable to get back on as he was pulled under by the vehicle’s track.

However, a few months later, he shared additional details about the accident in an interview. He explained that he had leaned out of the snowplow’s cab door to check on his nephew, fell off, and then attempted to climb back in, ultimately ending up under the vehicle’s track. He acknowledged his mistake of not being inside the vehicle while operating it, drawing a parallel to driving a car with a foot outside, and took full responsibility for what happened.

Less than half an hour after the accident, a Truckee Meadows Fire Engine reached Jeremy Renner, and an ambulance followed shortly, managing to transport him to the hospital within five minutes. Due to adverse weather conditions, a helicopter landed later to fly Renner to a Reno hospital, where he was classified as red trauma, signifying the highest level of trauma. Renner, who had over 30 broken bones, endured blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries, resulting in critical condition during his hospitalization.

So, what happened to Jeremy Renner after he was hospitalized? Keep reading to find out.

His recovery has been a long, tough process.

The first step of his recovery journey was to undergo surgery, as many of his body parts had to be rebuilt with metal plates, titanium rods and screws. Fortunately, it all worked out, thanks in part to his family’s unconditional support.

According to his mom and sister, the Avengers-star experienced intense pain and sleep deprivation following his surgery, with his sister describing him as delirious and miserable. Still, his mother would read aloud to him in the hospital. Renner himself emphasized the beauty of waking up to his family’s comforting faces and expressed gratitude for their presence and assistance throughout the challenging ordeal.

Finally, on January 16, 2023, he was able to return home from the hospital. Since then, he has been regularly updating his Instagram with his physical therapy progress. On March, 2023, nearly 3 months after the tragedy, Renner shared a video of him walking on a treadmill, which marked the first time fans saw him on his feet since his hospitalization.

He celebrates every small victory.

The 53-year-old is determined to turn the painful memories of his accident into a positive and empowering experience. Despite grappling with triggers, he refuses to view the incident as a trauma or negative event. Renner emphasizes that he has no regrets and would make the same choices again, because, above all, he’s proud that he was able to protect his nephew.

He also makes sure to recognize every single one of his wins. On the 10-month mark since his accident, he posted a video of him running up a hill for the first time post-surgery. Although the feat might seem small for some, it left him with “tears of joy” in his eyes.

He is grateful for life, and keeps pushing for his loved ones.

The actor reflected on his near-death experience during CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, expressing gratitude for the support of his large family, but that’s not all. He put his determination to recover down to his sense of responsibility towards his loved ones, because of the impact his passing would have had on his family.

The impact of the accident on his nephew, who witnessed the tragedy firsthand, gave Renner a more altruistic vision of life too. Despite the emotional weight of his recovery journey, his focus remained on healing, since he knew how it would contribute to the mental and spiritual healing of his nephew. He maintained a positive mental attitude, emphasizing how there was no other option other than improvement.

Additionally, he used the whole experience as inspiration for yet another musical project. Renner, who already had two EPs released before the accident, is set to release another one, titled Love and Titanium, sometime in 2024.

On Instagram, he described the process of creating the music as “painful, deeply healing, and cathartic,” and added that the tracks cover different milestones of his recovery process. The first single, Wait, came out exactly one year after his accident, on January 1, 2024. The cover features a photo of him and his daughter, whom he has previously named as his number one reason for recovery.

It’s common to wonder what happened to Jeremy Renner because of his accident, but he’s not the only actor in Hollywood who has been leading people to question what’s up with him. Zac Efron has also been making headlines, as he changed his lifestyle and now calls a different country “home”.