Comedian, actor, and producer Kevin Hart has branded himself the “dumbest man alive” after temporarily injuring himself during a race against a former American football player, leaving him wheelchair-bound.
“This debate was based on who’s faster. Those that know me know I’m pretty fast,” Mr. Hart said, recounting the incident. “Stevan said, ‘Kevin, ain’t no way you’re gonna beat me,’” he said.
While the race between the retired New England Patriots player and Mr. Hart initially began as a bit of competitive fun, things ultimately turned sour, leaving the latter temporarily unable to walk, according to the actor.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the age 40 is real,” Mr. Hart said in the video. “All my men, women out there 40 years old and above, it’s not a game. Respect that age, respect that age.”
‘I Can’t Walk!’
“I know people may see me out. And I don’t want you to be alarmed, but I’m in a wheelchair,” Mr. Hart said. “Why? Because I tried to do some young man stuff.”
The comedian explained that the race with his friend and former NFL player had ultimately left him with a torn abdomen and torn abductors.
“I tore my lower abdomen, my abductors are torn—I don’t even know what that is, but I tore ’em. I can’t walk!” he said. “This is 44,” he added.
“What are we competing for at this age? What am I doing?” the comedian continued. “Why did I even race? Stupidest [expletive] ever! Now I can’t walk... What was I thinking, son? I’ve got to be the stupidest man alive.”
Mr. Hart concluded that he would likely spend weeks in the wheelchair.
Responding to Mr. Hart’s video, former NFL star Mr. Ridley called it a “minor setback for a major comeback.”
He also shared a short clip of the two during their 40-yard dash challenge, in which the sports star appeared to have the lead.
“Well, here you go! It started off good… but it ended with my brother in a wheelchair,” he wrote alongside the video. “I agree with you, age caught you… I gotta keep it going for us,” he wrote.
Near-Fatal Car Crash
In September 2019, the comedian was involved in a near-fatal car accident that fractured his spine in three places, leaving him hospitalized for nearly two weeks and requiring him to undergo surgery and then physical therapy at a live-in rehabilitation facility.Mr. Hart was reportedly a passenger in his 970 Plymouth Barracuda, driven by his friend Jared Black, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, sending it rolling into an embankment in Malibu Hills, California.
Mr. Black’s wife, Rebecca Broxterman, was also in the car during the crash and suffered multiple injuries, as did her husband.
“My appreciation for life is through the roof,” he said. “When God talks, you gotta listen. I swear, life is funny. Because some of the craziest things that happen to you end up being the things that you needed the most, and in this case, I honestly feel like God basically told me to sit down.
“When you’re moving too fast and doing too much, sometimes you can’t see the things that you’re meant to see. But after my accident, I see things differently; I see life from a whole new perspective,” Mr. Hart said in the video.
“I’m thankful for life. I’m thankful for simply still being here,” he continued. “Don’t take today for granted because tomorrow is not promised,” reflected Mr. Hart.
