US comedian Kevin Hart has broken his silence and said he is “thankful for simply still being here” after a car crash left him seriously injured.
The Hollywood actor was a passenger in a vintage muscle car when the driver lost control, sped down an embankment and slammed into a tree near Malibu.
Hart suffered major back injuries in the crash, which authorities blamed on reckless driving.
Hart, 40, has now returned to social media and shared a video to Instagram documenting his recovery from September’s smash.
The star of films including Ride Along, Get Hard and The Upside is shown lying in a hospital bed, being assisted by nurses and using a walking frame to stand up.
He is also filmed under going physical therapy lessons at his home. Hart’s three children appear in the video, as does his wife, Eniko.
“After my accident I see things differently, I see life from a whole new perspective,” Hart said.
“My appreciation for life is through the roof. I’m thankful for my family, my friends.”
Hart thanked fans for their “love and support,” adding: “Don’t take today for granted because tomorrow’s not promised. More importantly I’m thankful for God, I’m thankful for life. I’m thankful for simply still being here.”
He put the accident down to “God basically told me to sit down”. Hart’s celebrity friends commented on the post.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who has appeared in several films with Hart, wrote: “Beautifully said. Love u brotha. Onward.”
Hart was taken to hospital after his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, driven by his friend Jared Black, smashed into a tree on the Mulholland Highway near Malibu on September 1, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol.
Evidence from an examination of the Plymouth suggested no-one had been wearing seatbelts.
Hart, who began his career as a stand-up comedian in his home city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is now a major Hollywood star.
He will next appear in Jumanji: The Next Level, a film he completed before the crash. The movie is set to be released in December.