Jennifer Gray Turns 64: Divorce, Cancer & the Car Accident That Affected Her Neck

• Jennifer Grey delivered an exceptional performance in "Dirty Dancing."
• However, prior to the film's premiere, she endured a tragic accident that inflicted years of chronic pain.
• Despite battling cancer and going through a divorce, Grey showcased resilience, ultimately thriving in both her career and personal life.

Jennifer Grey is an exceptional actress known for starring in one of the biggest films of the '80s "Dirty Dancing." After this 1987 film, Grey appeared in other productions such as "Bloodhounds of Broadway," "Bounce," and "If the Shoe Fits."

Grey has a career that has spanned over 30 years. The actress is also an author, whose book "Out of the Corner: A Memoir" was released in 2022. In the book, she opened up about her life-changing events, including getting involved in a fatal car crash.

Grey, who earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress for "Dirty Dancing" said weeks before the release of her film, she was involved in a fatal car crash in Ireland with her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick. Broderick was behind the wheel during the crash, which resulted in the death of two women.

The actress recalled, "The car accident in Ireland was, I would say, top three traumas of my life, maybe top one. It's very hard to describe when you have a near-death experience and are present for the death of other people."

Jennifer Grey recounted the terrifying experience of being alone on a deserted country road after the car crash. She described being the sole living witness, as Broderick had survived but was unconscious with amnesia and severe injuries.

The actress admitted to initially thinking Broderick was dead and was unaware of the tragic deaths of two other women involved in the accident. She emphasized how such an experience profoundly impacted her life, leading to significant changes.

Grey clarified that she wasn't withholding any information regarding the accident, as some people speculated. She explained that it was simply an accident, with no clear answer or blame, despite the desire for one.

The movie star emphasized that Broderick was a good driver and neither of them had been drinking at the time. "It was just an accident. And it was tragic, and I think about the family in Ireland all the time," she expressed.

After showcasing her dance moves on "Dirty Dancing," the actress, who played a dancer, was unable to repeat the iconic sways due to chronic pain. The road accident tore several ligaments in the back of her neck.

Despite receiving medical treatment after the accident, Grey continued to suffer from painful headaches lasting for days and neck spasms when moving her shoulders. Over the years, her neck condition worsened, becoming severely compressed. While she emotionally recovered and pursued her acting career, Grey's life was plagued by persistent and disabling pain.

In 2001, Grey married actor and director Clark Gregg, with whom she had a daughter named Stella Gregg. However, her life remained overshadowed by ongoing physical agony. "I tried massage, heat pads, ice, anti-inflammatories—anything and everything that could offer relief. Nothing offered long-term results," said Grey.

The actress's pain lasted for 20 years. In 2001, she went for a routine physical after she was asked to participate in "Dancing with the Stars." Grey was seen by Robert Bray, Jr., M.D., a Los Angeles-based neurologic spine surgeon. Bray found the actress’s exam to be very abnormal as she had no fluids around her spinal cord.

Bray explained," That means if she fell, slipped on the dance floor, or experienced a sudden head movement or minor rear-end car accident, she could have been paralyzed." Grey was told not to drive, work out, dance, or play sports.

Bray also discovered that Grey's neck had a sharp bend and that something was pressing against her spinal code. The x-ray showed a slippage of one vertebra onto another, severely narrowing the spinal canal space, which posed a serious risk to the actress's health.

To address the issue, Bray conducted an anterior fusion procedure on Grey's neck, realigning it through the front. The procedure involved removing the disc entirely, lifting the neck, and repositioning it correctly to reduce angulation and instability. Subsequently, a titanium plate was inserted to secure the joint in place.

Despite consulting with numerous doctors over the years and limiting her activities, Grey confessed that she never fully recognized the gravity of her condition.

"In retrospect, I was in denial. One of the doctors I saw years ago had suggested surgery, but the thought of surgery and a long recovery scared me so much that I convinced myself the pain wasn't that bad," she confessed.

Grey described her pain as cyclical. Some days, it was minimal, allowing her to pretend everything was okay. However, on other days, she endured severe headaches and struggled to even open her eyes.

The star's initial surgery was deemed successful, but she learned she would require a second surgery to address the lingering effects of trauma from the car accident. Bray informed her that the surgery would involve removing spurs from her neck to alleviate shoulder and arm pain.

However, before proceeding, he recommended having a suspicious lump on her throat biopsied by her doctor. Initially diagnosed as a benign goiter or thyroid nodule, Bray expressed concern about the lump's appearance and advised the actress to have it removed. Subsequent examination revealed it to be a malignant tumor.

After undergoing two surgeries to remove the cancer, Grey returned to Bray for a second surgery to address neck spurs. Following rehabilitation at DISC's Soft Tissue Center, she felt prepared to join the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" eight months later.

In her first dancing appearance since "Dirty Dancing," Grey emerged as the winner of the show's 11th season. With the support of her professional dancing partner, Derek Hough, and ongoing care from Bray, she secured the coveted mirror ball trophy.

In July 2020, Grey experienced another personal change, when she and her ex-husband Gregg parted ways. The two announced on their separate social media pages that they'd made the difficult decision to divorce. They said that they separated in January 2020 after spending 19 years together. Their daughter, Stella Gregg, was 18 then.

A month after the announcement Gregg filed for divorce. The pair who had been dating since summer 2000 and tied the knot in July 2001, added that as much as they have separated, they would always be a family that loves, values, and cares for each other.

Life threw challenges at Grey after she starred in "Dirty Dancing" but her resilience and diligence helped her to get back on her feet again. The 64-year-old has thrived in her career, and in her personal life, she has the love and care of family.