Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes is opening up about a terrifying accident that nearly claimed his life – and it happened just two months after the loss of his mother.
The former Savage Garden frontman, 52, shared the shocking details with fans in a raw Instagram post on Friday, revealing he suffered a horrific fall in March that left his jaw snapped in half and nine teeth shattered.
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“On March 17, 2 months to the day after my Mother passed away, I had a terrible accident,” Hayes wrote, alongside graphic images showing the aftermath of his injury. “I’ve been trying to keep it private but my lengthy recovery period means it’s easier to admit the truth.”
The ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ singer said he fainted without warning shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed three times – each time losing consciousness.
The impact of his fall was so brutal, it left him with devastating facial injuries.
“I lost consciousness – I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time,” he explained. “The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half.
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“I woke up in a pool of blood,” he added. “Terrible pain in my left side of my head and with 9 teeth shattered.”
Hayes said he was found on the floor and rushed to the ER at St John’s Providence in Santa Monica. Doctors there acted fast – and may have saved his life, per the New York Post.
“I’m so lucky that I was found, and taken to the amazing team at the emergency room of St John’s Providence in Santa Monica, where they acted quickly,” he said. “I could have died if I landed in a different position.”
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Doctors quickly ruled out heart problems and neurological issues as the cause of the collapse, and on March 21, Hayes underwent emergency reconstructive surgery.
“The incredible surgeons inserted a titanium brace to re-connect my jaw bones and my mouth was wired shut for a minimum of 8 weeks while the left jaw bone could heal,” Hayes explained, sharing an X-ray of his broken jaw.
He emphasized that drugs and alcohol played no part in the incident.
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“So far my heart is normal, my arteries are normal and I don’t have a brain tumor or anything that could cause the accident,” he said. “No judgement [sic] to those who partake but I do not take drugs or drink alcohol – this was a complete shock.
“But we are still investigating,” he added. Doctors are continuing to explore why he fainted in the first place.
The accident comes after a series of personal heartbreaks for Hayes, who also recently finalized a divorce and lost both of his parents.
“I’m so grateful to my loved ones for coming to my rescue and to the doctors and nurses who have treated me with such care,” he shared. “After surviving a brutal divorce, losing my Mother, finding out my father died and then this I have had moments of deep sadness.
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“But I am a survivor,” he concluded, “and I’ll come back strong.”
Hayes shot to global stardom in the ‘90s and early 2000s as one-half of Savage Garden alongside Daniel Jones, 51. The duo scored hits like ‘I Want You,’ ‘Break Me Shake Me,’ and ‘To the Moon and Back’ before parting ways in 2001.
While Jones reportedly stepped away from music, Hayes continued to tour and build a solo career.
Now, after this near-fatal fall, Hayes says he’ll be “out of action for quite some time” as he heals and begins the process of replacing his teeth – but he’s determined to make a comeback.