"Another Congolese person, this would have been the end of their options," Judd said. Nearly a month after revealing that she suffered an accident in Congo, Ashley Judd is opening up about the trauma that has followed the incident that almost caused her to lose a leg. Ashley Judd spoke Tuesday about her grueling 55-hour odyssey after a catastrophic fall in a Congo rainforest. A group of men then improvised a hammock and spent three hours gingerly carrying Judd through the forest to the nearest transportation. And there's going to be intensive physical therapy. Mike Coppola/Getty Images CNN Ashley Judd says its with quiet awe that she is walking, nearly six months after shattering her leg in four places while on a trip October 27, 2022 Judd next spent "an hour and a half in a hammock, being carried out of the rainforest by my Congolese brothers, who were doing it barefoot, up and over hills, through the river" to make it back to their camp. I sat facing backwards, his back my backrest. The Double Jeopardy star was stuck on the ground for five hours with a badly misshapen leg, biting a stick because of pain, and howling like a wild animal". Ashley Judd has been traveling regularly to Congo over the years to study the endangered bonobo population with her life partner. Friends. Updated ", Ashley Judd: Fight against sexual misconduct is about 'ending impunity' for offenders. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, Survivors Jonny Fairplay shares major show secrets & insanity of challenges, 1000-lb Sisters' Tammy Slaton ends silence 2 days after Amy & husband split, The View fans confused after spotting strange detail involving host Sara, Today fans divided over Jenna's dress as some viewers say it's 'inappropriate', 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, It took 55 hours to get Ashley Judd to medical care while in the Congo, Ashley Judd showed her scars following hours of surgery to mend her leg, Double Jeopardy, Bug, Heat, and De-Lovely, Ashley Judd revealed that she almost lost her leg, right leg had "no pulse" and she "desperately needed a blood transfusion", painful and exhausting trip lasted six hours, described it as a catastrophic accident. I bit a stick. He was my witness. as well as other partner offers and accept our. "Yet you have done it, and so will I.". In February 2021, Ashley Judd revealed that she almost lost her leg after a terrible fall in the Congo rainforest. The Double Jeopardy actor recalled her painful accident and revealed that she was in an incredibly harrowing condition for 55 hours and added that she was lying on the forest floor for the first five hours, biting her stick like a wild animal howling. The women! Our Impact Driven Journalism Needs Your Support. Slowly but surely, Ashley Judd is recovering from her gruesome leg injury. Ashley Judd provides health updates, thanks hospital staff after shattering leg in rainforest, Fight against sexual misconduct is about 'ending impunity' for offenders, first discussed the injury with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. I was at the edge of my very edge, she said. She recalled: "With [my colleagues' leg] under my badly misshapen leg, biting my stick howling like a wild animal.". They do for me what I cannot do for myself - prepare meals, shampoo my hair, and they also offer the deep spiritual direction and consolation of trying to begin to craft an arc of meaning and purpose. While appearing on "The She went on to tell her 511k Instagram followers that thanks to doing the exercises she can now reach her knee and her feet can rest almost parallel. Actress and activist Ashley Judd speaks at the United Nations on March 15, 2016. Dieumerci stretched out his leg and put it under my grossly misshapen left leg to try to keep it still, she wrote. The actress, 52, joined an Instagram The actress previously recalled fading in and out of consciousness as she went into shock, repeatedly reciting the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want from Psalm 23. Judd shared photos and videos of her recovery process, which included exercises to stretch her legs in different directions. Days after the Instagram Live videos, Judd used her platform to highlight the men and women who helped her in Congo after she broke her leg. I have a journey ahead of me.". Ashley Judd Accident Face The American actress and her partner had travelled to Congo to research the endangered bonobo population in 2021 when Ashley Judds facial accident happened. Ashley shared her recovery photos and a clip of her doing physiotherapy with her followers on Instagram. The actor discussed her injury in length from her hospital bed in South Africa during two Instagram Live segments last month hosted by New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof. Ashley Judd is slowly but steadily recovering from her horrific leg injury. A Warner Bros. He held my broken leg under the heel and I held the shattered top part together with my two hands. ", Just a few months prior, Judd had also taken to Instagram where she announced she was returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo adding that the injury "is in the past now.". Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Stay up to date with what you want to know. After her initial fall, Ashley said on Instagram that she experienced a "grueling 55-hour" rescue after the early morning fall. That painful and exhausting trip lasted six hours. Picture: ashleyjudd/Instagram The star explained that she had broken her leg in four places and suffered nerve damage. 2023 Cable News Network. ASHLEY Judd is an American actress who made headlines in February 2021 after she almost lost her leg in a horrific hiking accident. We have a nice friendship, discussing the pros and cons of polygamy and monogamy. Your funds will ensure we can continue to bring you amazing stories of women, and the impact they are making and spotlight half the country's population because they deserve it. Judd, who had previously chronicled what happened in a pair of Instagram Live videos hosted by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof after she was transported to a hospital in South Africa, characterized her experience last Friday as "an incredibly harrowing 55 hours." "That would have been the end of their leg and probablytheir life. summit.soundstrue.com/radically-reframing But there's no really a time frame for [recovery]. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All That Is Bitter & Sweet author. Maradona was the only person to come forward to volunteer for this task.. The hope is that Ashley, who suffered massive soft tissue damage, will soon be able to walk again as she explained: "Right now, my right foot is lame. She went on to name each person who offered their assistance by name, sharing how each helped her on this journey and thanking them for their kindness and support. Judd said Weinstein appeared in a bathrobe, offered her a massage, and asked her if she wanted to watch him take a shower. Judd described it as a catastrophic accident and added that she nearly lost my leg" - which was shattered in four places. That's where she was this week when she fell while walking in the forest in an incident that nearly caused her to lose her leg. And I just had no expectations, and I knew that I could only do it one breath at a time. Ashley Judd accident photos reveal the actors painful ordeal: Hollywood actor Ashley Judd shared photos of her rescue from a jungle in Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday. Her right leg had "no pulse" and she "desperately needed a blood transfusion" after a difficult 55-hour-long rescue. Link Copied! "As I was breaking my leg, I knew it was being broken.". That's where she was this week when she fell while walking in the forest in an incident that nearly caused her to lose her leg. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. The 52-year-old actress sustained the injuries while in the Congo rainforest researching the Bonobos, a unique species of ape which is indigenous to the country. 2. Judd was injured when she and researchers were up early in a rainforest looking for bonobos when she tripped over a log and the fall shattered her tibia. "It was very serious she could've died," Naomi said. Discovery Company. She fell and broke her leg in four places and her neurological system was equally affected. 11:57 AM EDT, Mon August 2, 2021. Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. I was in cold sweat and feeling nauseous and thirsty.. & he had to do this twice!. She was comforted by her colleagues during the ordeal, handling her catastrophic leg. He told me what he had to do. My leg and foot, worked beautifully.. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Judd, 52, took to Instagram on Saturday, March 6 to share an update after the accident and try to make sense of the events that led to her catastrophic accident." Ashley Judd recently shared that she injured her leg in a freak accident this past summer, months after her mother Naomi Judd died by suicide. I wake up weeping in gratitude, deeply moved by each person who contributed something life giving and spirit salving during my grueling 55 hour odyssey.. Ashley Judd is shining a light on the people who came to her aid after she broke her leg in Congo while walking in a forest. A post shared by Ashley Judd (@ashley_judd), Original story: Ashley Judd provides health updates, thanks hospital staff after shattering leg in rainforest, However, she added that she was able to push through the pain thanks to "the loving exhortation and validation of my many friends. Outside of acting, Judd is known for her previous marriage to former Scottish racing driver Dario Franchitti which lasted from 2001 to 2013. I held onto Maud. I think I'm gonna vomit. Maradona rode on the very back of the motorbike, i faced him. Judd described the next 55 hours as "incredibly harrowing," and said the ordeal "started with five hours of lying on the forest floor" with one of her colleagues until she was able to be evacuated. Excited for 'House of Gucci'? Juddshared photos and videos of her recovery process, which included exercises to stretch her legs in different directions. "she's surviving. "There was a fallen tree on the path, which I didn't see, and I had a very powerful stride going and I just fell over this tree.". She's very courageous. Papa Jean: it took 5 hours, but eventually he found me, wretched and wild on the ground, and calmly assessed my broken leg. Judd described the 55 hours that followed as an 'incredibly harrowing' experience. "I am a woman of the wilderness, as you know. Ashley Judd is reflecting on how badly her traumatic accident in the Congo could have gone if it wasn't for the life-saving help she had. I did 60 of those heel slides a day. I do not understand why what has happened has happened, she began the caption. She had to be evacuated by motorbike, with a driver steering and another man holding the top part of my shattered tibia together". Speaking from her hospital bed with The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof for an Instagram Live, the 52-year-old actress said she is "in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I have had.". We want to hear from you! This is the road ahead. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Come June, I will walk with a brace and a cane. While visiting a Congo rainforest, theactress, 53, shattered her leg and underwent extensive surgery. Please correct the marked field(s) below. Terms of Service Ashley Judd met with an accident in a jungle of Congo, where she went for her research on bonobo apes. ", Judd also celebrated her progress, noting that, "Yesterday, I effortlessly reached the benchmark of 130 degrees. Naomi Judd opened up about her daughter Ashley Judd's recovery. Together we did this for 6 hours on an irregular, rutted and pocked dirt road that has gullies for rain run off during the rainy season. My sisters who held me. The next 55 hours were "incredibly harrowing," according to the political activist, who revealed that it "started with five hours of lying on the forest floor" with one of her colleagues until she was able to be taken on a long journey towards medical attention. I remember when I began to have dreams again (both kinds)," she wrote. "With the kind of injury I (& many The pain was really bad and my teeth were chattering. At the time, Judd said she was deep in the rainforestto research endangered bonobo apes. Ashley Judd spoke Tuesday about her grueling 55-hour odyssey after a catastrophic fall in a Congo rainforest. I do understand I have been loved and helped enormously. She tripped over a downed tree,shattering her leg in four places and suffering nerve damage. And Papa Jean, with certainty began to manipulate and adjust my broken bones back into something like a position I could be transported in, while I screamed and writhed. Together we did this for 6 hours on an irregular, rutted and pocked dirt road that has gullies for rain run off during the rainy season. .View our WebNaomi Judd revealed that her daughter, Ashley Judd, is still bedridden after her "catastrophic" accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was carried out of the rainforest in a hammock and back to camp. It took stamina, focus, and humility to consult with some experts around the country, whom I also deeply thank (especially SMc)., She also thanked the staff at Skyline Hospital, adding, I loved the sweet spirit of the janitor who cleaned my room, my bright-spot-of-the-day-gal from nutrition, and always, my consummate and tender nurses., Now, I am in the bosom of a stream of friends and family, too numerous to mention, who have caught me in their prodigious arms from this precipitous fall, she continued. Things got more traumatic for the star, who said she "nearly lost her leg" as someone was able to reset her bones five hours later. Seeing the pictures from A post shared by Ashley Judd (@ashley_judd), The 53-year-old actress went on to detail her experience, saying: Stepping in, I felt in my ease, my natural garment of self, at home in my spirit. I bit a stick. Judd described the 55 hours following her accident as incredibly harrowing and had her eventually going into shock and passing out. He told me what he had to do. "I do not understand why what has happened has happened," she wrote on Instagram. The actor revealed in February that she nearly lost her leg in a Congo accident. IE 11 is not supported. Thank you., I am only at beginning and the combination of drowning in trauma and addressing the physical body is a lot, she said. The 52-year-old actress sustained the injuries Before reaching the operation unit in South Africa, Ashley was carried in a hammock for an hour. The star said: "But look out, Patagonia, because when that nerve heals, youll be seeing me, "Just as that little endangered bonobo knows that shell be seeing me back in the Congolese rainforest soon.". RELATED VIDEO: Ashley Judd Speaks Out About Her Decision to Sue Harvey Weinstein: "I Lost Prestige and Power in My Career". I remember when I began to have dreams again (both kinds). IE 11 is not supported. She is a freelance contributor to TODAY.com,where she covers pop culture and breaking news. She said she felt "panicky, trapped," and said if Weinstein wanted to touch her, she would have to win an Oscar for one of his movies first. Then a heroic friend appropriately named Maradona volunteered to ride with the failing actress for six hours on a motorbike, keeping her from falling off and holding her shattered foot in place. Ashley Judd say she's "weeping in gratitude" after surviving a near-fatal accident in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Lord is my shepherd. Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe The actress For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. She wrote: "I am getting back up. On March 6, Ashley updated her fans with an update on her recovery. ", Naomi Judd, 75, opened up about her daughter's recovery on. On Sunday, Judd announced a major milestone on her road to recovery on Instagram, telling fans she managed to walk up hill on uneven surfaces for an hour confidently.. The actor, 52, shared photos and a video on her Instagram page on Tuesday, thanking all of the men and women who helped her. The photos feature Judd being carried on a makeshift gurney and resting on a floor while her leg was wrapped. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. In the video, 109 degrees was an outrageous dream, & trying to reach it was agony. She posted a photo of her being embraced by her friend, Moyra Mulholland Botta, as well as a shot of her sister, Wynonna Judd, washing her hair. They blessed me.. Ashley Judd is sharing a glimpse of her difficult recovery progress. She also recounted her friend Dieumerci sitting with her for five hours keeping her grossly misshapen left leg from moving by propping it up using his own leg. Leg after a difficult 55-hour-long rescue edge, she said only do it one at. 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