Savage Garden singer snapped jawbone in half in ‘terrible accident’

Darren Hayes, the singer for ’90s duo Savage Garden, has revealed that he had a “terrible accident” on March 17.

“I’ve been trying to keep it private but my lengthy recovery period means it’s easier to admit the truth,” Hayes said Friday in an Instagram post. “I lost consciousness – I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time. The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half. I woke up in a pool of blood, terrible pain in my left side of my head and with 9 teeth shattered.”

See his full post below.

Hayes and Daniel Jones were radio staples beginning in 1997, when they released their debut album with tracks such as “I Want You” and “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” Their hit song “I Knew I Loved You” followed two years later.

“I’m so lucky that I was found, and taken to the amazing team at the emergency room of St John’s Providence in Santa Monica, where they acted quickly. I could have died if I landed in a different position,” Hayes, 52, continued. “They scanned for and ruled out heart issues and anything neurological. I was a scheduled for emergency reconstructive surgery and this happened on March 21st. The incredible surgeons inserted a titanium brace to re-connect my jaw bones and my mouth was wired shut for a minimum of 8 weeks while the left jaw bone could heal.”

Hayes, who had been grieving the loss of his mother, who died just two months before his medical event, said he’d had light headedness and fainting spells before he fell. Many conditions have been ruled out at this point, but he’s still awaiting a diagnosis.

“I am under incredible care. I have an amazing cardiologist and oral surgeon and we are trying to work out how and why I have been fainting. So far my heart is normal, my arteries are normal and I don’t have a brain tumor or anything that could cause the accident,” Hayes said. “No judgement to those who partake but I do not take drugs or drink alcohol – this was a complete shock. But we are still investigating.”

He disclosed his condition, he said, to let fans know that he will “be out of action for quite some time.” But he’s hopeful.

“After my jaw heals it’s a long road to rehabbing my jaw function and then of course replacing my shattered teeth,” Hayes explained. “I love you folks. I’m so grateful to be alive and every day I’m getting stronger. I’m almost one month post surgery now and I’m only just starting to feel better.”

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Hayes noted that he’s “so grateful to my loved ones for coming to my rescue and to the doctors and nurses who have treated me with such care.”

But Hayes, who released several solo albums after Savage Garden split in 2001, has had a rough time overall lately, which he promised to overcome.

“After surviving a brutal divorce, losing my Mother, finding out my father died and then this I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and I’ll come back strong.”

In 2007, the artist explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he enjoyed playing his signature hits, even a decade on.

“I’m a huge Prince fan. Prince in general is very smart about the way he plays live. Prince will always play the hits when you go and see him live,” Hayes said. “I think there were one or two periods when he didn’t, and I remember seeing one of those shows, where he played two hours of instrumental jazz gospel funk. And it was just a fan moment, when I realized that the people who come and see me own those songs. Those songs are the reason you’re speaking to me today.”