When Morgan Freeman got to the stage at the 97th Academy Awards to pay respects to Gene Hackman, fans noticed that he was wearing a single glove on his left hand. Many fans wondered what happened to Freeman as he tried to hide his hands behind his back. However, it isn’t a new thing for the actor who suffered nerve damage to his left hand after suffering from a car accident.
Freeman had previously told People Magazine that he wore compression gloves to keep his blood flowing, adding that his hand hadn’t gotten better after the accident. At the Oscars, Freeman spoke about the late Hackman, whom he worked with on two films Unforgiven and Under Suspicion.
What happened to Morgan Freeman’s hand as he was seen wearing a single glove at the Oscars?
Many fans may not remember that Morgan Freeman was in a car accident not so long ago. His car swerved off a Mississippi road, flipped over multiple times, and landed in a ditch. According to reports, emergency services had to cut him free from his car and he was airlifted to the hospital.
He immediately had surgery but the accident left him with nerve damage to his left hand. While doctors had hoped that his paralyzed hand would improve over the years, the damage appeared to be irreversible. The nerve damage has also resulted in fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain (via Mayo Clinic).
To help with the blood flow in his left hand, he wears a compression glove. He told PEOPLE in 2010 that he couldn’t move his left hand, which would cause swelling up. He shared (via Who.com.au):
I suffered nerve damage and it hasn’t gotten better. I can’t move it. If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?
He opened up about his fibromyalgia during a 2012 interview with Esquire. He shared that the condition causes pain “up and down the arm.” He shared, “That’s where it gets so bad. Excruciating.” Many fans wrongly assume the glove in the left hand to be a prosthetic. However, that is not the case.
Morgan Freeman paid his respects to Gene Hackman
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their New Mexico home last Wednesday. It fell upon Morgan Freeman to pay tribute to the acting legend at the Oscars on Sunday. He spoke a few words about his dear friend and kicked off the Oscars’ annual ‘In Memoriam’ segment.
I’m so glad The Oscars paid special tribute to Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman was absolutely the right man for the job. Absolute Legends. #Oscars #GeneHackmanpic.twitter.com/DPKUeCsUdm
— The Sting (@TheStingisBack) March 3, 2025
Freeman shared that Hackman was a generous performer who elevated the works of those around him. He shared that Hackman won the hearts of all film lovers from all over the world with his performances. He shared:
This week, our community lost a giant. And I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman. I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, Unforgiven and Under Suspicion, and like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work. He received two Oscars, but more importantly, he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world.
While Santa Fe detectives initially rejected foul play in the deaths of Hackman and his wife, they sought a search warrant as the deaths were “suspicious enough”. The bodies of the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found by maintenance workers. The front door of the house was found unsecured. One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead in the bathroom with Arakawa.
Gene Hackman has won two Academy Awards. He won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in the thriller film The French Connection. He later won in the Best Supporting Actor category for his villain role in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
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