Jenifer Lewis thought she was going to die after falling 10 feet off a hotel balcony

Jenifer Lewis is speaking out about a near-death experience, where she spent what she thought might be her final moments fearing she would be eaten by a lion.

The "Black-ish" star, 67, sat down with ABC's Robin Roberts and revealed for the first time that she thought she was going to die after falling 10 feet off a hotel balcony during a trip to Africa in 2022.

In a portion of the conversation that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America," Lewis shared that while she was at her hotel room in the Serengeti, she walked out toward an infinity pool on the deck but fell off the edge because it was "pitch black" and she couldn't see that there was a drop there.

"I'm walking and all of a sudden, I had fallen 10 feet into a dry ravine full of boulders and stones and sharp rocks," she said, adding, "There was a space that was not sectioned off, and there was no sign that said 'caution, 10-feet drop."

Lewis recalled being "in shock," noting her "right hip took the impact" and her "shoulder went up against a stone." As she tried to force herself to move her body, "nothing would move." She then called for her friend, Laurie, even though it was "hard to even take a big breath to scream."

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Lewis was also surrounded by wild animals while she was in the ravine.

"When Laurie shined her flashlight down there, she didn't know there was a Cape buffalo 10 feet away," Lewis said. "When Laurie ran to get help, I heard a lion roar. My last thought, because I am Jenifer Lewis, was, 'What a headline.' The king ate the queen! Pieces of Jenifer Lewis' body is being flown back to the states!"

The remainder of Lewis' interview is set to debut on ABC News Live and Hulu at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday in a special titled "After the Fall." But ABC showed clips of the actress exercising at home during her recovery, as well as a photo of her in a hospital bed. Lewis described her past year as "the hardest," and Roberts said the actress told her she didn't want to reveal she had fallen "until I could show you how I got back up."

In a preview clip of the interview that ABC previously released, Lewis confirmed she "did think I was going to die."

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"I didn't know you could be in that much pain and be alive," she said, adding, "I have been humbled. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but I do know I have to earn being alive."

Outside of "Black-ish," Lewis is known for her roles in shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and movies like "Sister Act." She published a memoir, "The Mother of Black Hollywood," in 2017 and another book, "Walking in My Joy," in 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jenifer Lewis reveals near-death experience after falling off balcony