Jeremy Renner Breaks Down In Tears After Revealing He Wrote a Goodbye Letter to His Family

In true superhero fashion, Jeremy Renner survived a horrific accident that left the star, and his doctors, convinced he wouldn't make it.

No, 2023 didn’t really kick off in a positive way for Renner, who was run over and crushed by a snowplow on his property in Reno, Nevada, on New Year’s Day, an accident that immediately left him in what was initially “critical but stable condition.”

The Marvel ComicsHawkeye star was clearing snow from his driveway when the accident occurred, leading to hospitalization and two surgeries for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.

According to a Washoe County Sheriff, Renner’s snowcat, a 14,000-lb., engine-powered plow used to clear snow, started to roll away when Renner was not in the driver’s set. The actor was injured as he tried to get back into the machine. Members of Renner’s family were with him when the incident occurred.

The Horrific Jeremy Renner Bodycam Footage Released

The footage shows first responders on the scene of the accident where Renner was nearly crushed to death by the 7-ton snow plow.

His nephew, Alex Fries, is heard explaining to the responders what happened, "Right where his blood is at, that's right where it all happened."

Fries says he was helping his uncle get a pickup truck out of the snow. Renner exited the snowplow but the machine kept going, barrelling towards his nephew at "full force." Renner tried to save Fries by jumping on the plow. "He tried to jump on it and it took him under."

The accident resulted in Renner breaking over 30 bones from eye sockets to shins. His injuries also included a pierced liver, collapsed lung, and eight broken ribs. The real-life superhero had his eye socket put back together with metal plates along with his rib cage rebuilt with metal.

Jeremy Renner Believed He Was Going to Die

In an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer, Renner and his nephew talk openly about the accident. Fries tearfully remembers running up to his uncle and thinking the absolute worst, "I didn't think he was alive." 

Fries wasn't the only one, Renner opened up on his own views when he was first in the hospital and how he prepared to say goodbye to his family and friends. Through tears, he vividly recounts telling everyone "I'm sorry," in sign language.

He also began writing his goodbyes, “I’m writing down notes in my phone to — last words to my family.”

But even through massive surgeries, pain, physio, and intrusive procedures, Renner began to think of tomorrow and the day after that. “I chose to survive. That’s not gonna kill me, no way. I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refueled and refilled with love and titanium.”

Through a hardened resilience, Renner realized to not only survive but thrive he would have to change his mindset.

"So I shifted the narrative of being victimized or making a mistake or anything else. I refused to be f****** haunted by that memory, that way."

Jeremy Renner Prior to the Start of 2023

Renner had been clearing the snow away from the driveway on New Year’s morning so his family could depart his home after ringing in 2023. He was also helping plow snow from his neighbor’s home as everyone in the area had been without power for a day due to a large snowfall.

Because of severe weather conditions and the closing down of local roads, a helicopter was used to airlift Renner to a local hospital in Reno.

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Renner was first able to communicate to his fans and friends on January 3, posting a selfie of himself in a hospital bed to Instagram and thanking well-wishers for all their support with a message and prayer emoji).

"Thank you all for your kind words. ?. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all,” he captioned the picture

Two days later, still looking quite banged up, Renner shared a brief video clip to his Instagram Story which found his sister Kym Renner massaging the head of her clearly pained brother and making him laugh as their mother looked on.

"First shower in definitely a week or so. Gross!," Renner comments in the clip in a remarkable moment of levity considering what he had been through.

Renner's First Post From His Hospital Bed

"ICU SPA MOMENT TO LIFT MY SPIRITS - Thank you mama, thank you sister, thank all for you for your love," read Renner caption next to the clip.

Jumping ahead another two days to Renner’s 52^nd birthday on January 7, the star of Mayor of Kingstown continued to recover from his injury and keep his friends and fans apprised of his situation, just as they continued to send him wishes for a speedy recovery—and a happy birthday. Leading the way was the youth academic and athletics program The Base Chicago, who shared a video on Instagram wherein they sang along to the lyrics of 50 Cent’s “In da Club”: “Go shawty, it’s your birthday. We gonna party like it’s your birthday.”

"I love you all sooooo much!!!! Thank you!” Renner wrote in response to the clip and numerous others who reached out to send hi, birthday greetings and wish him well. “You've made my spirits sing!!!!"

Renner has also been receiving speedy recovery wishes from a number of fellow Hollywood collegues, beginning with a bunch of his allies on the Avengers. Shout-outs and positive thoughts have been sent by such “superheroes” as Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Bettany (Vision), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Taiki Waititi (Korg), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill) and Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop) of the Disney+ series Hawkeye.

The Avengers’ flesh-and-blood counterparts were only a few representing the galaxy of stars who dropped in digitally to wish Renner a healthy and quick return to full fighting form. Among the many were Penelope Cruz, Jimmy Fallon, Juliette Lewis, Orlando Bloom, Elsa Pataky, Questlove, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Helms, Vanessa Hudgens, Cedric the Entertainer, Kate Beckinsale, Isla Fisher, Vera Farmiga, among others.

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Fellow Avenger Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp), who also co-starred with Renner in 2010’s The Hurt Locker, sent a particularly warm message as well as an image of the herself and Renner in the Oscar-winning film.

"Jeremy has always been one of the most grounded and real people I ever met in Hollywood," Lilly wrote in her Instagram post. "From the first time we worked together on #thehurtlocker, I recognized his full-hearted, blue-collar goodness. A beautiful man who I adore."

"I send you my most honest well-wishes, Jeremy. You are so strong," added Lilly. "I pray a quick and comforted recovery. ??. I know you are surrounded by love and support right now. Sending you mine. xx EL"

In an effort to spread some love of his own, Renner also posted a picture of himself surrounded by the hospital staffers who play an integral role in his daily treatment. It probably wasn’t a coincidence that he put up it up on his birthday as a way of giving back a gift of sorts to the people who are at the wheel on his road to recovery.

"Thank you renowned medical ICU team for beginning this journey," he wrote alongside the image with a series of prayer emojis beneath the photo.

Surviving Against All Odds

Renner's sister Kym reports, "We are so thrilled with his progress—if anyone knows Jeremy, he is a fighter and doesn't mess around. He is crushing all the progress goals. We couldn't feel more positive about the road ahead."

Clearly, Jeremy Renner is still in the stages of a life-changing ordeal and faces a long recovery period, but it’s encouraging and energizing to see the kind of support sent his way from his family and fans.

The importance of support by loved ones during times of medical and potentially psychological setbacks is vital, and unquestionably a major step towards embracing the challenges that present themselves on the road back to health and happiness.

While Renner may frequently portray a superhero on the screen, like so many of his colleagues and co-stars, he’s still just a man. His accident has undoubtedly reminded him and all of us of just how fragile life can be. Yet when asked what he sees in the mirror, the actor says simply, "I see a lucky man."