Trace Adkins has reflected on the shocking 1994 incident in which his then-wife shot him during an argument, revealing that he has long forgiven her and believes the shooting was never intentional.
The Songs About Me singer nearly died after his then-wife, Julie Curtis, shot him during a 1994 argument over his drinking.
Speaking on This Past Weekend with Theo Von on July 28, Adkins joked that Curtis "took it a little far, I thought."
“That was uncalled for. That was totally uncalled for,” he said of the shooting, before adding, “Just leave. Let’s just call it quits and we don’t have to go that far.”
Adkins, who chose not to press charges, said he never believed Curtis intended to shoot him, adding that she likely had no idea of the gun's potential consequences.
“I’d never seen her hold a gun, I’d never seen her shoot a gun. I knew she had one, but I’d never seen her use it,” he said.
The Swing hitmaker mentioned, “I don’t think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. She thought it was a toy.”
Trace Adkins on forgiving his ex-wife
Adkins said he has forgiven Curtis, believing she thought he was "indestructible."
He recalled that after an argument in which she wanted him to leave and he refused, she fired a gun held under his left arm, with the bullet passing through his heart and lungs.
Adkins was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and underwent emergency open-heart surgery.
“It was a kill shot. And the doctor said the only reason I survived was because the bullet went through at point blank velocity, at muzzle velocity, so it didn’t have time to mushroom,” he explained.
The Just Fishin' singer stated, “If it hadn’t been for that Life Flight and Vanderbilt Medical Center, I wouldn’t be here.”
To note, Adkins and Curtis divorced later that year, and the singer released his debut album Dreamin’ Out Loud in 1996.
