Kristin Chenoweth, who appeared on two episodes of the legal drama The Good Wife, has shared new details about the on-set accident which nearly killed her, and has said that she regrets choosing not to take legal action against CBS.Speaking on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Chenoweth addressed why she never tried to get any money from the television network. "I didn’t do it out of fear and anxiety," she said. "So don’t ever let fear ruin your life." When asked if she now regrets not suing, Chenoweth shared that she has "long-standing injuries" from the accident and that she wishes now that she had listened to her father, who encouraged her to sue. "And we're not the suing family, but when you're practically killed, you know..."
Chenoweth also went into detail about the accident, which was caused by a piece of lighting equipment falling. "I heard, like, a flagpole sound. I literally heard, 'We're losing the light,' I heard, 'Action,' and I woke up at Bellevue [Hospital]," the actor explained. She later found out what exactly had happened. "It hit me in the face and it threw me into a curb. Seven-inch skull fracture, hairline cracks [to her nose], and teeth and ribs."
Chenoweth also shared that a doctor credited her hair extensions with saving her life by holding the hairline fracture together. "My doctor said, 'What are these metal things?' And I said, 'They're hair extensions.' And he said, 'They saved your life.' So, anyone who wants to get hair extensions should, for your health," she joked. Chenoweth, who has a diverse resume that includes roles in Pushing Daisies, The West Wing, and the musical Wicked, appeared in two episodes of Season 4 of The Good Wife in 2012. Scenes for Episode 1 were shot prior to the accident, and after recovering, Chenoweth was able to return to the show to shoot a short scene for the season's 6th episode.
Chenoweth's character, Peggy Byrne, was a political reporter attempting to find dirt on series protagonist Alicia and her secretly separated husband Peter, a politician. She was set to appear in a recurring capacity throughout the show's fourth season, but was forced to drop out due to the injuries sustained in the accident. Shortly after the accident, Miriam Shor was cast as a different reporter character, Mandy Post, who served as a replacement for the storyline and appeared in six episodes.
Chenoweth's next upcoming role is the second season of Apple TV+'s musical comedy Schmigadoon!, which will premiere on April 7.
Source: Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, via Twitter