Current:Home > Contact-usJenifer Lewis thought she was going to die after falling 10 feet off a hotel balcony-InfoLens
Jenifer Lewis thought she was going to die after falling 10 feet off a hotel balcony
View Date:2024-12-23 20:15:43
Jenifer Lewis is speaking out about a near-death experience, where she spent what she thought might be her final moments fearing she would be eaten by a lion.
The "Black-ish" star, 67, sat down with ABC's Robin Roberts and revealed for the first time that she thought she was going to die after falling 10 feet off a hotel balcony during a trip to Africa in 2022.
In a portion of the conversation that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America," Lewis shared that while she was at her hotel room in the Serengeti, she walked out toward an infinity pool on the deck but fell off the edge because it was "pitch black" and she couldn't see that there was a drop there.
"I'm walking and all of a sudden, I had fallen 10 feet into a dry ravine full of boulders and stones and sharp rocks," she said, adding, "There was a space that was not sectioned off, and there was no sign that said 'caution, 10-feet drop."
Lewis recalled being "in shock," noting her "right hip took the impact" and her "shoulder went up against a stone." As she tried to force herself to move her body, "nothing would move." She then called for her friend, Laurie, even though it was "hard to even take a big breath to scream."
Jenifer Lewisinvites readers to join her 'Walking in My Joy': 'Having the time of my life'
Lewis was also surrounded by wild animals while she was in the ravine.
"When Laurie shined her flashlight down there, she didn't know there was a Cape buffalo 10 feet away," Lewis said. "When Laurie ran to get help, I heard a lion roar. My last thought, because I am Jenifer Lewis, was, 'What a headline.' The king ate the queen! Pieces of Jenifer Lewis' body is being flown back to the states!"
The remainder of Lewis' interview is set to debut on ABC News Live and Hulu at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday in a special titled "After the Fall." But ABC showed clips of the actress exercising at home during her recovery, as well as a photo of her in a hospital bed. Lewis described her past year as "the hardest," and Roberts said the actress told her she didn't want to reveal she had fallen "until I could show you how I got back up."
In a preview clip of the interview that ABC previously released, Lewis confirmed she "did think I was going to die."
Madonnashares first word she said after waking from coma in 'near-death experience'
"I didn't know you could be in that much pain and be alive," she said, adding, "I have been humbled. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but I do know I have to earn being alive."
Outside of "Black-ish," Lewis is known for her roles in shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and movies like "Sister Act." She published a memoir, "The Mother of Black Hollywood," in 2017 and another book, "Walking in My Joy," in 2022.
veryGood! (995)
Related
- Halle Berry Rocks Sheer Dress She Wore to 2002 Oscars 22 Years Later
- Next year will be the best year to buy a new car since 2019, economist says
- Madewell's Post-Holiday Sale Goes Big with $9 Tops, $41 Jeans, $39 Boots & More
- Over $1 million in beauty products seized during California raid, woman arrested: Reports
- NFL MVP rankings: Does Steelers QB Russell Wilson deserve any consideration?
- Prosecutors oppose Sen. Bob Menendez’s effort to delay May bribery trial until July
- Map shows where blue land crabs are moving, beyond native habitat in Florida, Texas
- Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’ dies
- Deebo Samuel explains 'out of character' sideline altercation with 49ers long snapper, kicker
- 'I just wasn't ready to let her go': Michigan woman graduates carrying 10-day-old baby
Ranking
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- Shannen Doherty Says Goodbye to Turbulent Year While Looking Ahead to 2024
- As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy
- Spirit Airlines Accidentally Recreates Home Alone 2 After 6-Year-Old Boards Wrong Fight
- Trump pledged to roll back protections for transgender students. They’re flooding crisis hotlines
- Prosecutors oppose Sen. Bob Menendez’s effort to delay May bribery trial until July
- Stock market today: Global shares climb, tracking advance on Wall Street
- Woman sentenced in straw purchase of gun used to kill Illinois officer and wound another
Recommendation
-
Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
-
Lamar Jackson fires back at broadcaster's hot take about the Ravens
-
Missing pregnant Texas teen and her boyfriend found dead in a car in San Antonio
-
Becky Hill's co-author accuses her of plagiarism in Alex Murdaugh trial book
-
Mike Tyson emerges as heavyweight champ among product pitchmen before Jake Paul fight
-
The Baltimore Ravens thrive on disrespect. It's their rocket fuel. This is why it works.
-
1-2-3 and counting: Las Vegas weddings could hit record on New Year’s Eve thanks to date’s pattern
-
North Dakota Republican leaders call on state rep to resign after slurs to police during DUI stop