Earlier this year, Sam Smith was pictured using a cane and leg brace for support while walking around in New York. During a recent appearance on the podcast Sidetracked with Annie and Nick, the musician revealed that they needed the gear after tearing their ACL in a skiing accident.
“I completely ripped my ACL. I was skiing. I was an idiot and went on a black slope on the second day,” Smith explained. “I got taken down in a blood bag. It was the worst. It’s a permanent thing.” The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a stabilizing knee ligament that takes an average of six to nine months to heal when injured.
“It’s in between your bones and helps you jump and spring around,” they added. “It completely ripped, and I decided to go down the non-surgical route, but I couldn’t walk for a month on this leg, and it was awful.”
Last year, Smith spent seven months on the road in support of their latest album, Gloria. It was a high-energy production that introduced more choreography into their set than either of their previous headlining tours. Coming off of that run only to be immobilized by a skiing accident was disorienting for the singer. “It was the first time I’d ever not been able to move, and I was holding onto a bit of weight,” they shared. “I was very anxious. I used it as an excuse to get my shit together
On average, it typically takes six to nine months for a torn ACL to fully heal, according to Cleveland Clinic, though this can depend on the severity of the injury