Kaley Cuoco is getting real about her past injuries.
As many of you may know, the 36-year-old is a major horseback riding fanatic and has been in the equestrian world for decades. See footage of the star in action (below):
Of course, it’s not always the safest sport — and there was one incident in particular that almost cost her everything.
Related: Orlando Bloom Was Told He May Never Walk Again After Breaking Back Years Ago
In a new excerpt from the upcoming book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, acquired by People, the star details a severe injury she suffered in 2010 while riding at a Los Angeles ranch. Her horse got spooked and bucked her off, stomping on her left leg moments later. The resulting injury required surgery, which she revealed wasn’t a guaranteed success:
“Before I went into surgery, they made me sign something that said, ‘We don’t know until we get in there and see this leg, and it could come out that you don’t have it anymore.’ That wasn’t the case, obviously, but I had to sign something that said, ‘OK, you can.’”
Can you IMAGINE having to sign that paperwork before going under for surgery?? We’re not sure we could, to be honest. She continued:
“Everything ended up fine, and I was up and working a week later, but the doctors acted like I was never going to walk again. It’s still too much for me to go into, and it sounded way worse than it was. And of course it was spiraling and everyone was freaking out, which I get. It scared people.”
Johnny Galecki, Kaley’s Big Bang Theory co-star and real-life love interest from 2008-10, added:
“But I think it scared people in a good way, myself included. The first day I saw you in that state, I just shed tears in my garage.”
Awww…
Related: Kaley & Netflix Star Tom Pelphrey Are Dating!
Show creator Chuck Lorre further added that the “devastating” situation was scary for him and the show, too — as Kaley’s injury could have been the end of everything:
“That was the darkest, most frightening time in all twelve years [of the show]. Kaley could have lost her leg. It was a series of miracles that allowed us to get through that and for her to come out the other end of that healthy.”
He says Dr. Stephen Lombardo, who’s part of Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic for Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, was “heaven-sent” because he was able to arrange in less than two hours “surgery with the best surgeons available to stop an infection because her leg was wide open.”
Doctors initially believed the Flight Attendant actress wouldn’t be able to walk for months, but she proved them wrong, and after just a two-week stay at the hospital, she was fitted for a boot. What could have ended the CBS hit sitcom just three years in ended up only requiring a re-write to accommodate the injury for two episodes. Lorre added:
“It was an absolutely miraculous intervention that I ran into Dr. Steve. Every time I see him, I say, ‘Thank you! You saved Kaley! On a lesser level, you saved The Big Bang Theory!'”
Crazy stuff! Imagine how different things could have been… We’re so glad she’s OK. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound off in the comments (below).
[Images via HBO Max/YouTube & MEGA/WENN]