Gretchen Wilson Reveals Injury That Left Her in Wheelchair for Months

Country music star Gretchen Wilson is opening up about the accident that left her in a wheelchair for several months.

The singer, 51, recently joined host Evan Paul on Taste of Country Nights, sharing that she shattered her leg while dancing at a wedding reception.

A Serious Setback

Wilson recalled she was spinning in a circle with a 6-year-old to the popular children’s nursey rhyme “Ring around the Rosie” when the injury happened. “You gotta watch them younger men, they’ll get ya every time,” she joked. The wedding took place on a beach with an Astroturf covering, and Wilson’s ankle hit a pocket in the turf during the dance. “It was ugly,” she said.

The country star described the impact of the painful injury, comparing it to viral online videos where “the foot [is] hanging the wrong way.” She explained, “Once I went down, I did not get back up.” The incident forced Wilson into a wheelchair for months, causing what she called a “setback” in her career and daily life.

Winning “The Masked Singer” and Embracing a Comeback

Despite the difficult recovery, Wilson soon found herself back in the spotlight. As her healing progressed, she was approached to join the 13th season of Fox’s hit show “The Masked Singer.”

She ultimately won the competition after being revealed as Pearl. “All the choreography, it was stressful, but it was good for me,” Wilson said. “It was hard work. It was really good for me and I proved a lot to myself.”

Wilson’s experience on “The Masked Singer” was not just a return to performing — it became what she described as a personal comeback moment. In an interview with TooFab, she said, “This just happened to come at a point in my life where I had a lot to prove to myself. I had been kind of out of the spotlight for about two and a half years, and I hadn’t told anyone why.”

Interestingly, she admitted in an interview with People that she didn’t expect to win, believing the runner-up, Andy Grammer (performing as Boogie Woogie), had it in the bag. “I was absolutely positive that Boogie won,” Wilson said. “I thought he was just the most amazing singer. In my head, he had won it weeks before.”

Winning the Golden Mask trophy meant more to Wilson than just a title. “When I was hurt and couldn’t do anything, I prayed. I prayed a lot,” she explained while speaking with TooFab. “And the answer I got was: You’re not done yet.”