Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes details life-threatening injury: “I could have died”
Darren Hayes, former singer of the Australian pop/rock duo Savage Garden, has revealed he suffered a near-fatal fall earlier this year.
The accident took place on March 17th in Santa Monica, exactly two months to the day since Hayes lost his mother. Taking to Instagram, Hayes wrote: “I had a terrible accident. I’ve been trying to keep it private but my lengthy recovery period means it’s easier to admit the truth. I lost consciousness – I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time.”
The singer continued: “The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half. I woke up in a pool of blood, terrible pain in my left side of my head and with 9 teeth shattered.”
The Australian musician then expressed his gratitude, stating it was “so lucky that I was found”, as well as thanking the “amazing team” who “acted quickly” at St John’s Providence in Santa Monica. Hayes added: “I could have died if I landed in a different position.”
Thankfully, Hayes has since had scans with have “ruled out heart issues and anything neurological”. He also revealed he had reconstructive surgery on March 21st and has had a titanium brace fitted to connect his jawbone with his mouth. As a result, Hayes’ mouth will stay wired shut for an eight-week period.
Hayes explained his fans were the reason why he was going public with his health issues, stating, “I just wanted my fans to know why I’ll be out of action for quite some time. After my jaw heals it’s a long road to rehabbing my jaw function and then of course replacing my shattered teeth. I love you folks. I’m so grateful to be alive and every day I’m getting stronger. I’m almost one month post surgery now and I’m only just starting to feel better.”
The former Savage Garden member then explained that he has recently dealt with a “brutal divorce” in addition to the loss of both of his parents, concluding, “I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and I’ll come back strong.”
It’s unclear how long it will take for Hayes to fully recover and be able to perform again.His last album, Homosexual, was released in 2022. Hayes’ most recent tour was a short run of dates in Australia in late 2024; he visited Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The singer-songwriter also published his autobiography, Unlovable, last November.
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