Ashley Judd Reveals She Shattered Her Leg In Congolese Forest

After getting seriously injured during an excursion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ashley Judd has opened up over a two-part Instagram Live with New York Times‘ reporter Nicholas Kristof about how the actress’s harrowing experience forced her to acknowledge her privilege in a new way.

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In her live, Judd explained that she had been traveling through the forest with a faulty headlamp, which led her to accidentally over a fallen tree, breaking her leg. For five hours, she waited on the forest floor for help to arrive and reset her bones, fighting to stay awake through the pain. She was then carried out of the forest by foot, which took an hour and a half alone, driven to the city by motorcycle, and eventually flown into South Africa to be treated in an ICU.

“The difference between a Congolese person and me is disaster insurance that allowed me 55 hours after my accident to get to an operating table in South Africa,” Judd said, acknowledging her privilege even in getting transportation out of the forest and to the city. She noted that some Congolese may lack even “a simple pill to kill the pain when you’ve shattered a leg in four places and have nerve damage.”

Despite her accident, however, Judd is well on her way to recovery, and expressed her love for the beautiful Congo as well as the support she received.

“I’m in a lot of love. I’m in a lot of compassion and I’m in a lot of gratitude,” the actress said. “I thank everyone for their thoughts and their prayers and their support.”