Kevin Hart returns to social media for first time since car crash: 'I'm thankful for simply still being here'
Kevin Hart is sharing a glimpse into his recovery from his Labor Day weekend car crash.
In his first Instagram post since the wreck, the Jumanji: The Next Level star, 40, talked about how “thankful” he is to “still be here” and says he appreciates life in a new way. Footage showed him at the hospital — where he had his spine fused back together in three places — as well as subsequent physical therapy and a doctor’s appointment.
“September 1, 2019, I was in an accident,” it said on the screen as it started. “My world was forever changed.”
Hart is heard talking about how the accident — which saw his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda crash through wooden fencing and down an embankment, injuring him and two friends — and said it made him realize that “No matter how much you think you’re in control, you’re not in control. At the end of the day, it can all be over.”
He said the whole experience has changed his life.
“You know, when God talks, you gotta listen,” Hart said. “I swear life is funny because some of the craziest things that happen to you end up being the thing that you needed most. In this case, I honestly feel like God basically told me to ‘Sit down. You’re moving too fast. You’re doing too much.’ Sometimes you can’t see the things that you’re meant to see. But after my accident, I see things differently. I see life from a whole new perspective.”
As footage of him doing everyday things at home with family and friends flashed on the screen, he said his “appreciation for life is through the roof. I’m thankful for my family, my friends. I’m thankful for the people that simply ride with me and have been with me cause you stood by me.”
Then he addressed his fans, saying he is “thankful for all of your love and support.”
At the end, he said, “So don’t take today for granted because tomorrow is not promised. More importantly, I am thankful for God. Thankful for life. I’m thankful for simply still being here. The road to being a bigger and better version of me. Looking forward to an amazing 2020.”
Hart’s post — the first since before the crash — was flooded with comments of well-wishes from friends and fans. The Rock, Jamie Foxx and Cedric the Entertainer all posted messages:
Though his wife, Eniko Hart, seemed to clap back at some negative commenters.
Hart was in the passenger seat of his car when it went out of control and slammed through the fencing in the early hours of Sept. 1. His passengers — Jared Black, who was driving, and Black’s fiancée Rebecca Broxterman — had to be cut out of the vehicle.
Hart was initially taken by his security team to his home in Calabasas, Calif. However, once there, a 911 call was placed and he was transported to the hospital. He had three fractures to his spine and underwent surgery to fuse them back together. He spent time in a live-in treatment facility before returning home and doing his physical therapy there.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reportedly determined the crash was caused by the driver operating the vehicle in a reckless fashion. None of the passengers were wearing seatbelts.
Hart was photographed out for the first time since the accident last week at Avra restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, alongside Jay-Z.
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