Eugenio Derbez opens up about recent accident, says doctors 'needed to reconstruct my arm'

Eugenio Derbez is speaking out about the painful accident that landed him in the hospital last month.

In an Instagram Live video posted Sunday, the “Acapulco” star thanked his fans for all the "expressions of affection” he’s received online since the accident, sharing that he’s hardly touched his phone because he’s spent much of his early recovery in a sedated state.

“I know that what you all want to know the most is what happened, how it happened, and I would like to know why it happened,” said Derbez of the accident, in Spanish. “People have always told me that things happen for a reason.”

Derbez said the accident took place while playing a virtual reality game with his son. He said he tripped while he was wearing the VR headset and fell on some stairs, landing directly on his elbow.

“When I fell, it sounded like dry branches breaking, and I immediately knew I had multiple, serious fractures,” Derbez said.

At the time of his accident, Derbez’s wife, actress and singer Alessandra Rosaldo, wrote on Instagram that Derbez needed to undergo a “very complicated” surgery to address his “delicate” injuries.

After seeking treatment at a hospital, Derbez said he flew to Los Angeles to see a surgeon. However, Derbez said the doctor initially held off on operating on Derbez due to the seriousness of his condition.

“The injury was so serious they needed to reconstruct my arm,” Derbez explained, later showing a photo of an X-ray of the nearly 20 screws placed in his arm. “I had five large fractures and about 10 small ones.”

Background: Eugenio Derbez in recovery from recent accident after successful surgery, wife says

Derbez said doctors told him it’s not a guarantee that he’ll regain full mobility in his arm and that the recovery process will take between six months and one year.

The SAG-winning actor said the accident may have been a sign from the universe for him to slow down professionally after a busy year. Derbez appeared in the 2021 Oscars' darling “CODA,” the Apple TV+ comedy “Acapulco” and Hulu rom-com “The Valet.” His latest film, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.

'CODA' made history amid Oscar chaos.: Here's what its win means for the Deaf community.

“In the last six months, I was only in my house twice,” Derbez said. “I was happy on the work side of things, but I was exhausted. I kind of felt like I was in jail, ‘cause I couldn’t have time off or a personal life.”

On Monday, The Hollywood Reporter announced Derbez will star in and executive produce a comedy with the working title "They Came at Night," currently in development at TelevisaUnivision's streaming platform Vix+.

According to IMDb, Derbez is working on two projects currently in pre-production: Netflix's "Lotería" and Sony's "The Tree Tenors."

Although he wanted to share his health update with fans, Derbez said in his Instagram Live video that he’ll be unplugging from social media for the time being to focus on his recovery.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eugenio Derbez: 'Coda' actor gives fans update on recent accident