In a new clip from Jeremy Renner's upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer, the Mayor of Kingstown actor gets emotional while revealing that he wrote a goodbye note to his family in the hospital. Renner sustained life-threatening injuries after he was run over by his 14,000-pound snowplow on New Year's Day, with the Avengers star claiming he didn't expect to survive.
"If I was there, on my own, that would've been a horrible way to die. And surely I would've. Surely," Renner tells Sawyer of the accident at his Reno, Nevada home in a new clip from the ABC News special. "But I wasn't alone. It was my nephew. Sweet Alex. And the rest of the cavalry came."
"Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview — A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph" airs live on ABC at 10/9c on April 6. The special marks Renner's first sit-down interview since the Jan. 1 accident, in which the actor was crushed under the weight of his seven-ton Sno-Cat while pushing his nephew Alex out of the way of the rolling machine. In addition to harrowing audio of the 9-1-1 call placed by Renner's neighbor, the special will also feature interviews with Renner's family, including his nephew Alex.
Renner, 52, was airlifted to the hospital for emergency surgery, having sustained life-threatening injuries, including 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung and a pierced liver. The actor reveals he did not expect to survive his injuries. While in the hospital, he pulled out his phone to type a goodbye note to his family.
"I'm writing down notes in my phone to — last words to my family," Renner recounts before being overcome with emotion.
"Sorry," the actor says, fighting back tears.
Renner has undergone physical therapy from home since the accident, sharing photos and videos of his rehabilitation exercises with fans on social media. On March 26, the actor posted a video of himself walking on a zero-gravity treadmill to Twitter, alongside the caption: "I now have to find OTHER things to occupy my time so my body can recover from my will."
I now have to find OTHER things to occupy my time so my body can recover from my will. #minduful #intended #recovery pic.twitter.com/TuDFSMVJHY
— Jeremy Renner (@JeremyRenner) March 26, 2023
"I chose to survive. That's not gonna kill me, no way," the actor tells Sawyer. "I've lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I've been refueled and refilled with love and titanium."
"Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview - A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph" will air live April 6 at 10/9c on ABC. The special will also be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ on April 7.
READ MORE: 'Mayor of Kingstown' Co-Creator Hugh Dillon on Jeremy Renner's Snowplow Accident & the Show's Future: 'He's a Fighter'
