Morgan Freeman Has Been Covering His Left Hand with Glove for Years — 3 Times We Saw Him without It

Morgan Freeman's life-changing car accident left him with severe nerve damage in his left hand. The actor needs to wear a compression glove to regulate blood flow, but he has not shied away from showing off the glove or speaking about the transition of having just one functioning hand.

Morgan Freeman is one of Hollywood's legendary actors who, even at 86 years old, shows no signs of stopping. Not even a near-death car accident has slowed him down.

In 2008, Freeman figured in a severe car accident when his car flipped over multiple times on the Mississippi highway. The crash damaged the nerves in his left arm, forcing the actor to wear a compression glove on his paralyzed left hand later to regulate blood flow.

On many occasions, Freeman would appear publicly wearing his compression glove. At the 95th Annual Academy Awards, he was photographed walking on stage with actress Margot Robbie, wearing a sleek black suit with a matching black compression glove. As they walked on stage, Robbie, wearing a long black sequined gown, held onto Freeman's injured arm.

Likewise, on Mandela Day, the actor shared a picture of him and Nelson Mandela with both hands crossed in front of him, revealing his left hand wearing a beige glove. Whether it be during public appearances, in photographs, or in interviews, Freeman isn't shy about his gloved hand.

Despite having to relearn living with just one functioning hand, this has also not stopped him from working. "The Bucket List" star shared a photo of him in Egypt, as part of the global journey he took while filming the documentary "Story Of God."

There have also been times when the actor has had to remove the glove for his acting roles. He shared a clip of himself singing on "Solos" where his hand was glove-free.

Apart from a paralyzed left hand, the accident led to Freeman letting go of many hobbies. But through this transition, he learned to appreciate different parts of his life.

Morgan Freeman’s Life Changing Car Accident

The 2008 accident that changed the course of Freeman's life, involved him and one of his friends, and the two being pulled out of the car with the Jaws of Life. Freeman suffered more damage in his left hand, but despite surgery to get it functional again, the actor has been left with a limb he cannot use.

Since he suffered so much nerve damage, the hand swells and cannot be moved, leaving him with chronic pain. But the compression glove is meant to help with the swelling too.

During his interview with Esquire, where he opened up about the incident, Freeman spoke about the unbearable pain he endured from his injured arm. He would reportedly try to hide the discomfort at times but had moments when he could not hide the agony.

Freeman was asked about this pain and explained, "It's the fibromyalgia up and down the arm. That's where it gets so bad. Excruciating." The "Going in Style" actor hoped the nerve damage would improve with more surgeries, but nothing has changed.

The arm is still immobile, and the actor briefly described the difficulty of his injury, saying, "I suffered nerve damage, and it hasn't gotten better. I can't move it. If you don't move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?'

Despite the hurdles, Freeman has embraced the life changes. He performed at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and even showed off his left hand without the glove for the performance.

Life with One Hand

During his interview with Esquire, Freeman would reportedly flinch or make sounds of someone in pain and discomfort every time he rose from the couch, walked, or even just sat still.

Although the pain would not be something to get used to, he would still try to hide his suffering but grab the arm whenever he experienced a shock of pain. However, Freeman was more concerned about his long-term health. He did not want to find his health deteriorating because he stressed too much.

Throughout the flashes of pain and discomfort, the "Now You See Me" star reportedly never mentioned his feelings, showing that the suffering had become part of his everyday life.

Having only one functional hand has changed Freeman's life in many ways too. The actor has had to give up on his hobby of flying jets, which he took on when he was 65.

He loved sailing and would even sail to the Caribbean alone, just for some quiet time away from his busy life. But now, the actor does not trust himself to sail with one hand. "It was complete isolation. It was the best way for me to find quiet, how I found time to read. No more." he confessed.

Freeman, who loved driving fast cars and testing out their capabilities, also had to let go of the dream of driving manual cars. Another fun activity he enjoyed was riding horses, which he reportedly did daily, but even that, he has had to let go.

But letting go came with the discovery of new hobbies and an even deeper appreciation for other parts of Freeman's life. For instance, he learned to love playing golf. Asked how he swang a club with one hand, he said, "I play one-handed. I swing with my right arm."

The actor is also grateful to still be able to work, "And I can be pretty happy just walking the land," he added. He is also happy to honor some of his fellow actors in the industry for reaching milestones.

When Denzel Washington was awarded an AFI Life Achievement Award, Freeman honored him with a roast. The actor had the whole crowd and Washington in tears of laughter. But at the end, the "Seven" star congratulated and clapped for him, showing off his bare paralyzed hand.

Freeman has accepted that his hand will be immobile for the rest of his days and has found different pockets of joy in his life.