Jeremy Renner Recalls the Snowplow Accident That Left Him With ‘38+’ Broken Bones

Jeremy Renner took some time to recall his 2023 snowplow accident that left him in critical condition and lucky to be alive.

“I remember my head cracking on the thing and it just pressing on me—it’s exactly like you think it would feel. An immovable object and a crushing force, and something’s gotta give,” Jeremy, 53, told Men’s Health in an article published on Tuesday, June 25.

The Avengers star continued and described the moment he felt the bones in his face break.

“Thank God my skull didn’t fully give. And then it kept going,” Jeremy said. “Cheekbone broke, eye socket broke, and then from the crushing of getting run over by the machine, my eye bulged out. I could see my left eyeball with my right eyeball.”

The Hawkeye actor said that he was “screaming for breath” as he worked to use his stomach muscles to inhale. Jeremy also described the moment he looked down and saw his leg “twisted like a pretzel” and how he thought the injury was minor enough at first that he’d be able to continue his plans for the day.

“I’m thinking, ‘Ooo, s--t, that’s gonna hurt later. Ooo, that’s my eyeball — that’s kinda weird! I’m like, s--t, I wonder if this breathing trouble is just a cramp. Let me just get this breathing right, and then I can go tell the family we’re not going skiing today,’” Jeremy recalled. “The EMTs arrived and I thought, ‘I have to give my body up to them, because I’m cooked. I’m not getting up. These aren’t just cramps. I’m not gonna walk back down the driveway to see my family.’”

Jeremy became emotional when he described the moment the magnitude of the situation fully hit him, as well.

“I’m not gonna take my daughter skiing today. Or all the kids that were waiting for me. I can’t kid myself anymore,” the Arrival star remembered thinking. “I have to give it up and just focus on breathing. Focus on breathing. Focus on breathing.”

Ultimately, the Mayor of Kingstown star had “38+” broken bones that included, six broken ribs in 14 places, eye socket, jaw and mandible broken and a broken tibia in his left leg. His injuries required him to recover in the hospital for over two weeks , but he said that he received visits and calls from some of his superhero friends.

Anthony Mackie , who plays Falcon in the Marvel cinematic universe, was by Jeremy’s side within days of the accident. He also received visits from Ant Man’s Paul Rudd and Sam Rockwell , who played Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2 , and Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. FaceTimed him repeatedly during his stay.

Jeremy also touched on his friendships with his costars, including Robert, 59, and said that they were as close in real life as they appeared to be on social media.

“Oh, f--k yeah, it’s a real thing—it’s not just for Instagram. We f--kin’ hate that s--t,” Jeremy told the publication. “We have a family chat and have for a long time. When you work with people — look, we all went through a culturally significant experience together. And there’s divorces and marriages and babies; a lot of stuff happened in these 12 years. In the films, we look like we’re at a costume party, and there’s ridiculous props and we’re doing these ridiculous things, but it’s also beautiful because we’re all connected. There’s a brotherhood or sisterhood or whatever the heck you want to call it. I just call it love. I love every one of them. I’d rather go to jail with Downey than go do something amazing by myself. I’d rather get in a car crash with [Chris] Evans .”