Kevin Hart is still standing — and walking — following the serious car accident that led to surgery and rehabilitation.
The actor made his first public appearance since the collision at the E! People’s Choice Awards Sunday. Walking out to Kanye West’s “Stronger,” he received a standing ovation and took home the first award of the night, Comedy Act of 2019. Hart used his acceptance speech to express gratitude for life.
“First and foremost, thank God because I definitely don’t have to be here,” he said after receiving the trophy from Robert Downey Jr. “Being that I am, it makes me appreciate life even more. It makes me appreciate the things that really matter. Family. I want to thank my wife and kids, who really stepped up to the plate for me.”
Thanking the PCAs and his fans, he added, “You have no idea the effect you have on us as entertainers with your energy, your support. It means the world and I truly want to thank you guys for being there for me in my difficult time. This is special — they all are — I do not take them for granted.”
Hart was in the car when his friend Jared Black was driving Hart’s 1970 Plymouth Barracuda in Malibu in the early morning hours of Sept. 2. The resulting crash into a fence totaled the vehicle and led the comedian to undergo back surgery after suffering “major injuries.” Hart successfully had the surgery but his road to recovery is ongoing.
By the end of October, after keeping quiet, Hart shared a video on his Instagram page giving fans insight into just how he’s been doing since the collision.
The footage included a stay in the hospital, various back-strengthening workouts and Hart opening up about what he says God told him after the accident.
“In this case, I honestly feel like God basically told me to sit down,” he said. “When you moving too fast and you doing too much, sometimes you can’t see the things that you’re meant to see. But after my accident, I see things differently. I see life from a whole new perspective. My appreciation for life is through the roof.”
A doctor in the video is seen telling him it’ll be at least a year until the comic fully recovers. Hart, who is seen as one of the hardest-working men in show business, says, “I’m not in a rush.”
