Orlando Bloom looked back on a life-threatening accident that severely damaged his spine 23 years ago.
The 44-year-old actor opened up about a fall that “crushed” his back in an Instagram post on Friday, sharing a throwback photo taken just three months after the incident as well. The picture showed a younger Bloom wearing a back brace while riding a bicycle, and another more recent image presented him in full-on cycling gear while cruising down a road. He wrote in an accompanying caption:
“That’s me in my back brace circa 1998 about 3months after I fell 3floors and crushed my spine, narrowly escaping death and paralysis… grateful everyday for my limbs that allow me to push my limits and live life on my edge (safer now).”
Related: Miranda Kerr Thinks Of Ex-Husband Orlando Bloom As ‘An Annoying Brother’??
OUCH! Take a look at the post (below):
His fiancée Katy Perry commented on the post, writing:
“I love you.”
Meanwhile, ex-wife Miranda Kerr said she was “so proud” of the Carnival Row star. This isn’t the first time that Bloom has shared details about the 1998 fall. In an old profile with GQ, the father of two revealed that he was climbing a roof terrace with friends when the drainpipe he grasped onto suddenly collapsed:
“Until then, I didn’t have a healthy appreciation for life and death — that we’re not invincible. And for four days, I faced the idea of living in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I went to some dark places in my mind. I realized, I’m either going to walk again or I’m not.”
The Pirates of the Caribbean alum continued:
“The doctor said he wasn’t sure how severe the spinalcord damage was. I remember him telling me that, and staring at the ceiling, thinking, I never stared at ceilings before! And I wonder if I’m going to be looking at ceilings for the rest of my life.”
Despite Bloom recovering after spending weeks in the hospital, he confessed that the accident ultimately changed his view on life, explaining:
“When I came out of the hospital, I started partying straight away — with the back brace on. It took me a couple of months to realize this was my life, and I didn’t want to mess it up. But that accident has informed everything in my life. Until you’re close to losing it, you don’t realize. I used to ride motorbikes and drive cars like everything was a racetrack; it was ridiculous. It wasn’t because I thought it was cool; it was just because I loved living on the edge. But I’ve chilled.”
Don’t worry, though! Orlando hasn’t fully tamed his wild side! We mean, no one can forget about those skinny-dipping pictures. Ch-ch-check it out (below):
In all seriousness, Bloom was certainly lucky to have made it out alive! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
