Jeremy Renner’s exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer: The accident, his recovery and more

In “Jeremy Renner: An Interview With Diane Sawyer — A Tale Of Fear, Survival And Triumph,” airing Thursday, April 6 at 10 p.m. His incredible recovery from the details and his support as he has been through the ordeal.

He also talked about his mindset moving forward and how the accident in Reno, Nevada, which broke more than 30 bones, changed his perspective.

“I lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I was refueled and replenished with love and titanium,” he told Sawyer.

In the special, viewers are transported back to the day of the accident. Renner first used a snowplow to help his 27-year-old nephew Alex Fries move his family’s truck, which had become stranded after a major snowstorm.

After they successfully moved the truck, Renner turned the snowplow and was halfway through the cab door, trying to see if his nephew was in danger among the vehicles on the icy road. He falls, unsuccessfully tries to get back up, and falls under the tracks of a snowplow. Renner said he did not engage the parking brake before opening the snowplow door.

“I happened to be a dummy who was standing a little bit in the Dan truck to see if my nephew was there,” Renner said. [it,] you know what i mean? It’s like driving a car with your feet outside…that was it. It was my mistake and I paid for it. “

Renner said he remembered the pain of being run over, claiming he was “always awake” as he was crushed by the ice and asphalt under the car. I felt it,” he said.

Fries said he saw his uncle lying face down “in a pool of blood” around his head. “When I ran up to him, I didn’t think he was alive, so he didn’t react,” he said. that was [so] Many, to be like that, to see them like that. “

Fries noticed the garage door was slightly open and ran to his neighbor Rich Kovac’s house for help. Kovac then called 9-1-1 and Kovac’s partner Barb Fletcher applied pressure to Renner’s wound with a towel.

“It was the amount of blood,” Kobach said, explaining that Renner was unrecognizable. When I looked at his head, it looked wide open and I knew it was very serious.”

“It sounded horrible to hear someone talk. You literally feel helpless as you watch someone die in front of you,” Fletcher added.

Fletcher said Renner kept his eyes closed, but she didn’t want him to “drift” with his eyes closed. ‘ and added that he felt ‘lost him for a second’.

Renner said he couldn’t live without his nephews Kobach and Fletcher.

“If I had been there alone, it would have been a horrible way to die,” he said. , was pretty Alex, and the rest of the cavalry came.”

Twenty-one minutes later, the Truckee Meadows fire engine was able to climb the snow-ravaged mountain to Renner. An ambulance soon arrived and doctors were able to get Renner into the car within five minutes. Once the wind subsided, a helicopter was able to land and transport Renner to a Reno hospital. There, doctors classified Renner’s condition as a red trauma, the maximum trauma.

Renner said he remembers being intubated the first time. Doctors who evaluated Mr. Renner’s condition said Mr. Renner broke more than 30 of his bones. One rib pierced Renner’s liver.

“I saw the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Kim Renner, Renner’s sister and Freize’s mother, who was the first to arrive at the hospital. I don’t know if his heart is still working.Can he breathe on his own?”

“He was intubated and out,” recalled Renner’s mother, Valerie Curley. “His breathing was—horribly.”

While in her hospital bed, Renner remembered signing “I’m sorry” to her family with her free hand. “I signed it – I am, sorry.”

The actor said he was still conscious at that moment and began typing “last words” to his family on the phone. asked not to. He added that if he had to live on drugs and painkillers, he wrote a note to his family saying, “Let me go now.”

During surgery, Renner’s ribcage was reconstructed with metal. A metal plate was also attached to his face to reconstruct his eye sockets, and rubber bands and screws were added to his jaw, he said. His legs were implanted with titanium rods and screws.

According to his sister, he dealt with the terrible pain that followed and couldn’t sleep for a long time. “And it hurt. He cried because of his misery because he couldn’t sleep. It was terrible. It was just terrible.”

Renner’s family stayed with him until he recovered.

“I just wanted him to hear my voice,” Renner’s mother said.

Renner said his family helped him the most during this time, and they continue to do so. He said it was “beautiful” to see their faces when he came. “It’s beautiful to have – wake up to all those sweet faces.”

During the special, the actors took the opportunity to thank Kobach and Fletcher for their help at the scene of the accident.

“It took an army to keep this old sucker alive,” Renner told them on FaceTime. If I hadn’t been there, I would have died, I would have died in front of your house.”

Since the accident, Renner has remained focused on making progress on his recovery each day, telling Sawyer that he’s been picking up “great little wins.”

During the interview, the actor, who was in a wheelchair, said he also hopes to regain sensitivity in parts of his body that he’s lost, including his face. I say that I do.

Renner believes his recovery is “totally mental,” but his sister says he’s making progress because of how stubborn he is, saying, “I’ll keep him in touch no matter what.” I’m not going to discourage you,” he said.

The actor said, “I know I’m mentally strong.

In addition to the support from his family, Renner said he also received a lot of support from his “Avengers” family. He said he received a loving message.

Dr. Christopher Vincent, Renner’s Chiropractic Sports Physician, told Renner he was “highly motivated to heal.” Renner added that he had no choice but to heal and move on.

However, Renner admitted he would have no problem having a stuntman take over his stunts for future projects.

“I’m 52. I’m fine. I’ve done enough,” he said with a laugh. “I could do more, right? But, look, I’m fine. I don’t have an ego. Yes, please. I don’t care. I’m in the trailer.”

Renner has been working positively every day to regain some sense of his body and be able to walk on his own, but he says he struggles with the “trigger” of his traumatic accident.

He said he was reconstructing the story of the accident. “I have no regrets. I will try again,” he said of the accident. “I don’t want it to be traumatic or a negative experience.”

“That’s a man I’m proud of because I don’t want my nephew to do that,” Renner continued. Change the narrative to do other things, and refuse to be haunted by that memory that way.”

Renner’s latest project is a new show called “Renervations,” which debuts on Disney+ on April 12th, where he shares his love of car mods.

Renner said his family helped him process the emotional and physical pain.

“This is what I am telling my family, from all of their perspectives, and it is terrifying,” Renner added. But that’s what grows the seeds of love.”

When reunited with his 10-year-old daughter Ava, who had been sheltered from seeing her badly injured father after the accident, Sawyer explained that Renner didn’t need to talk much between them. I said I love him and I said I was scared.

Renner said his next goal is to walk the next time fans see him on the red carpet.

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