Morgan Freeman has been plagued with health issues over the past years. The Hollywood icon has also faced tragedy in the family and has since decided to dedicate much of his time to his loved ones.
Morgan has been married twice and has four children. His first marriage was to Jeanette Bradshaw, whom he married from 1967 until 1979.Morgan tied the knot for the second time with costume designer Myrna Colley-Lee, whom he wed in 1984 but divorced in 2010 after 24 years of marriage.
The Academy Award-winning actor is a father to kids: Deena Freeman, Morgana Freeman, Alfonso Freeman, and Saifoulaye Freeman. Morgan, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 1, 1937, is now 86 years old and has endured health issues over the past years.
Morgan Was Involved in a Car Accident That Left Him with an Idle Hand
In 2008, the family patriarch was involved in a car crash with a friend. The two were headed to his ranch in Mississippi when the vehicle flipped and rolled through the air several times, landing in a ditch.Morgan had to be cut free from the car, and reportedly, no substances were involved as he was believed to have fallen asleep behind the wheel. He was 71 then.
The producer underwent surgery for a nerve repair. However, his left hand has never been the same since the accident, which is now useless to him.
Morgan uses a compression glove most of the time to avoid blood flow there – and is in constant pain because of the limb. He opened up about his condition in a July 2012 interview and explained:
“It’s the fibromyalgia. Up and down the arm. That’s where it gets so bad. Excruciating.”This has left Morgan unable to enjoy the activities he used to partake in before the incident, such as piloting jets, sailing, riding horses, and even driving.
“It’s better to have two hands working than do that with one hand. I’ve had to give up on some fun things,” Morgan said in a September 2014 interview.The veteran star hinted at embracing his life situation and said that he had to be open to other things that he could still do, such as playing golf, “I play one-handed. I swing with my right arm,” he revealed at the time.Most importantly, Morgan is still doing what he does best: acting. But he once admitted, “I’m very concerned about longevity,” adding he does not want to die because of stress and that there are many things to do, so when he has the opportunity to “do less,” he grabs it.
Morgan’s injury has affected his work, as he cannot film action movies anymore because of it. “I won’t take jobs where I have to be physical,” the “Evan Almighty” star disclosed. He divulged in a 2014 interview that when filming movies, he finds his scenes “put together” upon arrival so that he can leave once done shooting.
With his acting career spanning over five decades, the critically acclaimed star received Oscar nominations for films such as “Driving Missy” (1989) and “Shawshank Redemption” (1994).
Morgan eventually won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2005 for the 2004 film “Million Dollar Baby,” where he starred alongside Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank.In addition to his disabled left hand, which has led him to do certain films, Morgan has faced sudden health problems. After falling sick in July 2023, he missed a planned press trip to the UK with his “Special Ops: Lioness” co-stars, including Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman.
Morgan and the actresses were set to go and promote the spy thriller, but he remained in the US as a result. His representative revealed at the time:
“Morgan has a fever and his doctor felt he had a contagious infection, so he canceled his trip. He is fine now.”
Morgan on Spending More Time with Family & Losing His GrandchildMorgan has dedicated a part of his life to his acting career amid health struggles over the years. He talked candidly about being a parent in a September 2014 interview.
Asked if he regrets being career-oriented at first, the “London Has Fallen” star said, “I’m not sure,” adding if he had done things differently, then he would have avoided being involved with a few women, but that at the same time, his kids would not have been born if that were the case.Morgan further explained that “a good golf course” makes him happy and that he had played with his son then and won, making the experience even more thrilling.
When asked whether being a dad turned him into a family man, he said he was uncertain whether fatherhood made him a different person.
“You have to be married to be a father. I sired a couple of kids without being married, but that doesn’t make you a father,” the Golden Globe Award winner explained. He said it took some time for him to actually play the role of a father to his kids, adding:
“I was busy trying to be an actor, and the two didn’t really go together in my youth. But now I am in my dotage, I am a great grandfather. I have 14 grandchildren.”
Sadly, one of Morgan’s grandkids was brutally murdered in August 2015. His step-granddaughter E’Dena Hines was stabbed several times and was discovered lying in the street outside her home in New York City at about 3 a.m.She reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds to her torso and was transported by EMS to Harlem Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
At the time, a 30-year-old man named Lamar Davenport was arrested and taken into custody for allegedly killing Hines and charged with second-degree murder.
Morgan mourned the death of Hines in a statement in the wake of her tragic passing. He released a statement saying, “The world will never know her artistry and talent.”
The doting grandparent also wrote on Facebook and thanked fans for showering him and his family with a “tremendous outpouring of love and support.” Hines was 33.