Trace Adkins Adkins spoke about one of the most horrific incidents of his life and why he never held a grudge against the woman responsible. Adkins experienced a near-death experience after his ex-wife shot him in 1994. However, the singer never sued her.
Trace Adkins said he never believed his ex-wife intended to kill him.
The country music star appeared on Theo Vaughan's podcast "This Past Weekend," where he reopened the 1994 shooting that nearly left him dead at the hands of his then-wife, Julie Curtis.
As PEOPLE reports, the host reluctantly broached the sensitive topic, saying he'd heard one of his wives "shoot you." Atkins responded, "Yeah, I thought that went too far. It was inappropriate. Totally inappropriate.".
Tracy Darrell Adkins, known professionally as Trace Adkins, also added that he does not believe his ex-wife ever intended to kill him.
When Vaughn asked him point-blank if he thought she meant to do it, the singer responded without hesitation: «I don’t think she wanted to kill me, man,» he said. “I don’t think she even knew what that gun would do. I never saw her hold a gun; I never saw her fire a gun. I knew she had a gun, but I never saw her use it. I don’t think she understood what would happen when she pulled the trigger. She thought it was a toy.”.
Adkins said he has since forgiven her, adding: "She thought I was invulnerable.".
More than 30 years ago, his wife, Curtis, shot and killed the singer during a domestic dispute. The incident occurred on February 21, 1994, following an argument about Adkins's drinking habits. She pointed a .38-caliber pistol at him, and when Adkins attempted to disarm her, the gun went off.
The bullet pierced his chest, damaging his heart and both lungs. He underwent emergency open-heart surgery. They divorced shortly after the incident.
The singer, known for the hit "You're Gonna Miss This," partially accepted responsibility for the incident. "I've forgiven my second wife for shooting me because I refuse to believe she actually tried to kill me," the 64-year-old musician previously said. "She was probably trying to intimidate me and throw me out of the house. Who's to blame and who's not? It would be crazy to pretend we weren't both to blame for what happened.".
Although the shooting had serious consequences for both of them, Atkins maintains he doesn't believe she intended to kill him. His perspective helps explain his decision to overcome this traumatic event and move on.
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The article "Trace Adkins Reveals Why He Forgave His Ex-Wife After She Almost Killed Him" first appeared on Reality Tea.