WATCH: Jeremy Renner says he refuses to be ‘haunted’ by memory of snowplow accident
Jeremy Renner refuses to be “haunted” by the memory of his life-threatening snow plow accident.
In his first interview, “Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph,” which airs Thursday, April 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC, the “Avengers” star reflects the accident and tells how he wants to move forward.
“I shifted the narrative that it was a victim or it made a mistake or anything else,” he said. “I refuse to let this memory haunt me like that.”
MORE: Jeremy Renner shares an adorable note from his nephew as he recovers from a snowplough accident
Jeremy Renner hugs his mother, sisters and nephew in a screenshot from the upcoming special, Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph.
On New Year’s Day 2023, firefighters and paramedics responded to a 911 call regarding Renner. The caller, Renner’s neighbor Rich Kovach, told the 911 dispatcher over the phone that Renner had been “run over by a snow cat” and asked them to send help.
“It was blood, the amount of blood, and then he was in — he was in such pain,” Kovach told Sawyer. “And the sounds coming out of it – and there was so much blood in the snow. And then when I looked at his head, it seemed wide open. And I could see white, I don’t know if that was his skull when it – maybe it was just my imagination, but I thought I saw it.
Kovach recalled calling his partner Barb Fletcher for help at that moment.
“I just saw someone lying there and just a lot of blood was coming out of their head and I just grabbed one of the towels,” Fletcher said. “It was still folded and just exerting pressure. I could see he was really struggling to breathe.”
Neighbors Rich Kovach and Barb Fletcher sit down for an interview with Diane Sawyer in this screenshot from Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph.
His nephew Alex Fries, 27, was also at the scene with Renner, who said he held Renner’s arm to help him breathe.
Renner said he was “awake any moment.”
“I started moving my legs,” he said. “I said, ‘Oh, that – that’s really messed up. Oh yes, this thing is going to be – it’s going to be a problem.’”
MORE: Jeremy Renner reveals he broke more than 30 bones in snow plow accident
“And I’m like, ‘What does my body look like? Am I just going to be like a backbone in a brain like a science experiment?'” Renner recalled. “Is this my existence now? I kind of felt like I was just going, ‘What am I – what will my existence be like?’”
When Renner was finally transported to the hospital, he was first intubated and operated on several times. Unable to speak, Renner said he gestured “I’m sorry” in sign language to his family.
Jeremy Renner sits down with Diane Sawyer for an interview in a screenshot from the upcoming special, Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph.
“I signed that — because I do, I’m sorry,” Renner said.
He said he is grateful to the family who have stayed by his side throughout his recovery, both physically and spiritually.
“This is what I talk about with my family from all of their chilling perspectives that I put on them,” Renner added. “What we just endured. This is true love. It’s suffering. But that feeds the seeds of what love is.”
Watch the full Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph Thursday, April 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC and the next day on Hulu.