Jean Smart Breaks Kneecap in Half While Shopping for 4th of July Outfit
Hey, I’m Riley Carter. Another day, another sidewalk saga.
Jean Smart broke her kneecap in half on the Fourth of July while trying to hail a cab in New York City. The 73-year-old actor, best known for Designing Women and the hit series Hacks, explained during her August 7 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers that she had just left Macy’s with a “cute little Fourth of July outfit” when she spotted a cab and tripped over an unseen hazard. She was in the company of her two sons, Connor, 35, and Forest, 17, when the fall snapped her kneecap clean in half.
After the collapse, Smart lay on the pavement thinking, “Oh God, don’t take a picture,” before paramedics arrived. Surgery followed shortly, forcing her to pause her one-woman Broadway show Call Me Izzy for two weeks. Despite the pain and recovery process, she couldn’t help finding humor in the moment. While waiting in the street for the ambulance, she watched another pedestrian stumble over the exact same curb edge.
At the hospital, Smart mentioned the repeated hazard to her nurse, who confirmed that several people had arrived with injuries from that very spot. Her eldest son Connor took matters into his own hands by writing a letter to the city’s complaint department, and within days workers repaired the pavement defect. “Good for New York,” Smart applauded.
Resuming Call Me Izzy required Smart to lean on mobility aids. She started with crutches and a cane, then moved on to a leg brace that allowed her to perform from a seated position. The transition from crutches to a cane revealed a shift in public reaction. On crutches, everyone sympathizes and offers help. On a cane, she teased that strangers suddenly sound worried about her well-being and suggest a seat—“Nothing makes you feel older,” she quipped.
Smart’s road to recovery is ongoing, with physical therapy focused on rebuilding strength. She described the process as gradual yet hopeful, noting that her sense of independence and timing on stage are slowly returning. The industry veteran’s resilient spirit shines through every joke and observation, proving that even a broken kneecap can’t dim her trademark wit.
Meanwhile, other celebrities have shared their own health scares. Nikki Garcia from Total Bellas dealt with a shifted breast implant after a WWE match in July 2025, while Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o recently opened up about suffering silently from uterine fibroids for over a decade. Daisy Jones & The Six star Suki Waterhouse also found herself in hospital due to a hernia caused by tight pants. It seems that no star is immune to unexpected medical detours.
Anyway, that’s the scoop. Stay steady out there.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Late Night with Seth Meyers
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
