Actress Jenifer Lewis recently shared details about a terrifying incident she faced during her vacation in Africa in late 2022, where she fell 10 feet off a balcony and feared for her life.
In an interview previewed on Tuesday’s Good Morning America, the 67-year-old Black-ish star recounted the ordeal for the first time, describing it as the “hardest” experience of her life.
Speaking with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, Lewis revealed the intense pain she endured after the fall, admitting that she thought she was going to die.
The accident occurred during a trip to Africa, which Lewis described as “a trip of a lifetime.” After traveling from Cape Town to Rwanda and spending time with gorillas in the mountains, she arrived in the Serengeti. It was there, on the first night at her hotel, that the incident took place.
While admiring the scenery from her room’s deck, Lewis fell 10 feet into a dry ravine filled with rocks and boulders. Despite the darkness and the lack of warning signs, she accidentally stepped off the edge.
Lewis recounted the shock and pain she experienced, with her right hip bearing the brunt of the impact. Unable to move and fearing for her life, she called out to her friend Laurie for help. The situation became even more perilous when Laurie spotted a Cape buffalo nearby and heard a lion roar in the distance.
Reflecting on the incident, Lewis told TMZ that she was grateful for being alive but admitted feeling humbled by the experience. She revealed that she waited to share her story until she could show how she had managed to recover and move forward.
As for why Lewis waited this long to tell her story, she said:
“I didn’t want y’all to know I had fallen until I could show you how I got back up.”
