Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes suffered ‘terrible accident’ two months after mother’s death
Savage Garden lead singer Darren Hayes has shared confronting photos of a serious injury he suffered shortly after the death of his mother.
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Savage Garden lead singer Darren Hayes is recovering from a serious injury, shortly after suffering the loss of his mother.
The Truly Madly Deeply singer shared a photo of his swollen jaw and X-ray imagery on Instagram, explaining he had “a terrible accident.”
Hayes wrote in the caption that on March 17, exactly two months after his mother died, he “lost consciousness – I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time.”
“The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half. I woke up in a pool of blood, terrible pain in my left side of my head and with 9 teeth shattered.”
The 52-year-old said he was “so lucky” and thanked the medical team at St. John’s Providence in Santa Monica.
“I could have died if I landed in a different position. They scanned for and ruled out heart issues and anything neurological.”
Hayes underwent emergency reconstructive surgery and had a titanium brace inserted into his jaw followed by his mouth wired shut for eight weeks.
The Australian-born singer said he had experienced some light-headedness and fainting spells before the incident, and the cause is being investigated by his medical care team.
“So far my heart is normal, my arteries are normal and I don’t have a brain tumour or anything that could cause the accident,” he said, adding, “No Judgement to those who partake but I do not take drugs or drink alcohol – this was a complete shock.”
Hayes is one half of pop rock duo Savage Garden, with Daniel Jones on guitar and keyboards, known for late ‘90s hits like I Want You, Truly Madly Deeply and I Knew I Loved You.
Savage Garden split in 2001, per Billboard, but Hayes continued his solo career.
He thanked fans for understanding the reasons why he’ll “be out of action for quite some time.”
“After my jaw heals it’s a long road to rehabbing my jaw function and then of course replacing my shattered teeth. I love you folks. I’m so grateful to be alive and every day I’m getting stronger.”
Hayes revealed near the end of his post that not only had his mother recently died, but he also learned his father had died and he had just gone through a “brutal divorce” from his husband of 17 years, Richard Cullen.
According to People magazine, Hayes filed for divorce in 2023.
“I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and I’ll come back strong.”
He also thanked everyone for their support, adding that he decided to share the news on social media because he had to cancel “press and public things planned and I didn’t want people to speculate.”
“I’m sure I’m gonna be fine – it’s just time. Love you,” he added.
This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes suffered ‘terrible accident’ two months after mother’s death