Trace Adkins opened up about one of the most harrowing incidents of his life, and why he never held a grudge against the woman responsible. Adkins survived a near-death experience after he was shot by his ex-wife in 1994. The singer, however, never pressed charges against the woman.
Trace Adkins said he never believed his ex-wife intended to kill him
The country star appeared on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, where he revisited the 1994 shooting that nearly took his life at the hands of his then-wife, Julie Curtis.
According to PEOPLE, the host approached the sensitive topic hesitatingly, saying he heard one of the wives “shot ya”. Adkins responded, “Yeah, that took it a little far, I thought,” he said. “That was uncalled for. That was totally uncalled for.”
Tracy Darrell Adkins, known professionally as Trace Adkins, further added that he doesn’t believe his ex-wife ever intended to kill him.
When Von asked directly whether he thought she meant to, the singer didn’t hesitate. “I don’t think [she meant to kill me], man,” he said. “I don’t think she even had any idea what that gun was going to do.” I’d never seen her hold a gun; I’d never seen her shoot a gun. I knew she had one, but I’d never seen her use it. “I don’t think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. She thought it was a toy.”
Adkins said he’s come to forgive her since then, reflecting, “she thought I was indestructible.”
Curtis, his then-wife, shot the singer during a domestic dispute more than 30 years ago. The incident happened on February 21, 1994, following an argument about Adkins’ drinking. She pointed a .38 handgun at him, and when Adkins tried to disarm her, the gun went off.
The bullet tore through his chest, damaging his heart and both lungs. He underwent emergency open-heart surgery. The two divorced shortly after the incident.
The “You’re Gonna Miss This” singer has since taken partial responsibility for the incident. “I forgave my second wife for shooting me because I refuse to believe she was actually trying to kill me,” the 64-year-old has said previously. “She was probably trying to scare me off, out of the house. Who’s to bless and who’s to blame? It would be crazy to pretend that we weren’t both to blame for what happened.”
While the shooting had serious consequences for both of them, Adkins has maintained that he does not believe she intended to kill him. His perspective offers a look at how he has chosen to process the traumatic event and move forward.
TELL US—DO YOU THINK TRACE ADKINS MADE THE RIGHT CALL BY FORGIVING HIS EX-WIFE?
Originally reported by Manasvi Gupta on Reality Tea
