Sam Smith Breaks Silence On Freak Accident That Left Them Immobile

The cat is finally out of the bag, as Sam Smith reveals why they were spotted walking with a cane in January.

The "Unholy" hitmaker, who uses they/them pronouns, addressed the tragic accident that tore their ACL earlier this year. They revealed the incident left them immobile and in a great deal of pain.

The accident occurred amid Sam Smith's music hiatus, giving them the perfect opportunity to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally.

During a recent appearance on the "Sidetracked" podcast, Smith opened up about the freak accident they had while skiing months earlier. In their words:

"I completely ripped my ACL. I was skiing. I was an idiot and went on a black slope on the second day. I got taken down in a blood bag. It was the worst. It's a permanent thing."

Smith explained their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was fully torn, making them unable to walk or move around like they used to. This explained the knee brace and cane they were spotted using earlier this year.

"It's in between your bones and helps you jump and spring around. It completely ripped, and I decided to go down the non-surgical route, but I couldn't walk for a month on this leg, and it was awful," the powerhouse vocalist said about the injury.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ACL injuries commonly occur during sports that involve sudden stops or changes in direction, jumping, and landing, such as soccer, basketball, football, and downhill skiing. Depending on the severity, surgery and rehabilitation may be required.

While dealing with a torn ACL was a painful experience for Smith, it offered an unexpected silver lining. Since the accident occurred during their music hiatus, they decided to fix their life physically and mentally.

"It was the first time I'd ever not been able to move, and I was holding onto a bit of weight. I was very anxious. I used it as an excuse to get my sh-t together," Smith confessed, noting they did a virtual detox.

"I actually just got rid of my phone, and I got a new phone. It's the first time I don't have my library of music that I'd had since I was like 11. I started again — fully started again," they explained, adding:

"I needed an American number, and my phone was just full of people like exes and all these different people through the years…And I took social media off. Everything. It's crazy. I find myself sitting on benches now in parks, just looking at the trees."

Last January, The Blast reported that Smith opened up about the hate and criticisms they received after coming out as non-binary in 2019. They addressed the incident on Apple Music's Zane Lowe show, confessing:

"I think all the only negatives in the struggle have been in my public life and my job. And just the amount of hate and sh-tness that came my way was just exhausting."

Smith continued, "It was in the f—king news. Someone spat at me in the street. It's crazy. What I find hard about it is it's like, if that's happening to me and I'm famous, I'm a pop star, can you imagine what other kids, like queer kids, are feeling?"

Despite the criticisms, the 32-year-old noted their personal life had significantly improved since coming out. They revealed their relationship with family was better thanks to seamless communication and understanding. Smith said:

"Since changing my pronouns, it felt like a coming home. I wish I knew what the words were when I was in school because I would've identified as that in school. Because it is who I am, and it's who I've always been."

Additionally, they noted their freedom in the US wasn't as restricted as in England. They recalled how "wild" it was when President Joe Biden welcomed "the gays and the queers" at the Marriage Act signing ceremony in the White House.

Smith's non-binary identity was not the only thing that sparked criticisms, as The Blast reported they faced backlash for a music video. Last January, the singer dropped a controversial clip for their "I'm Not Here To Make Friends" song.

The video featured several raunchy scenes with Smith in skin-baring outfits, leaving many disappointed by the vulgarity. One disapproving comment read:

"I do think Sam Smith needs some serious help instead of being paraded like a vulgar character from Little Britain."

From last year's criticisms to his torn ACL, Sam Smith had plenty of reasons to take a virtual detox and heal.