Morgan Freeman was at the 95th Academy Awards last night, but fans noticed he wore an unusual accessory as he appeared on stage.
As he took to the stage with Margot Robbie to celebrate 100 years of Warner Brothers Studios, The Shawshank Redemption actor wore an elbow length glove.
While many have written this off as a merely style choice, there’s a heartbreaking reason why the actor had to wear the glove at last night’s Oscars.
In fact, the actor has worn a compression glove on his left hand following a major car accident that happened in Mississippi in 2008.
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At the time, Freeman had driving late at night when his car left the road, flipping several times before ending up in a ditch not far from his then-home.
A local journalist told the Guardian that paramedics had to use hydraulic cutters to free him from the vehicle, with the actor still conscious and making jokes with rescue workers throughout his ordeal.
Though emergency responders tried to treat Freeman at the scene, the Gone Baby Gone actor’s injuries were too great and he had to be flown over 100 miles away to hospital in Memphis.
Upon arriving it was discovered that the then-71-year old had suffered from a multiple broken bones and spent over four hours in surgery having his arm reset.
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Although he would be able to act again, Freeman was left with permanent nerve damage and unbearable shoulder pain.
Unable to move his left hand, the actor's limb began to swell and it was this that led him to wear the compression glove to ease his symptoms.
Speaking about his injury in 2010 to People magazine, Freeman revealed that his injury has never gotten any better
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He said: “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 also told Esquire a few years later that his fibromyalgia had also been impacted by the car with the shoulder pain shooting ‘up and down’ his arm.
Whilst some fans may not realise the significance behind the gloves, it's not the first time he's attended a major event wearing the medical device.
Back in 2022, the actor was also spotted wearing a similar compression glove during the opening ceremony FIFA Qatar World Cup.
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During the high-profile sporting event, the Oscar-winning actor appeared on stage with disabled YouTuber Ghanim al-Muftah who spoke about ‘tolerance and respect’.
Topics: Oscars, Film and TV, Celebrity