Country music icon Trace Adkins recently offered a candid and detailed account of a near-fatal shooting incident from February 1994, an event that saw him survive a bullet wound through his heart and both lungs. Speaking on Theo Von’s podcast, “This Past Weekend,” Adkins recounted the dramatic encounter with his then-wife, Julie Curtis, a story that has long circulated in country music circles but rarely with such personal insight.
"The physical pain— broken bones and surgeries and bullets and getting beat up and cut— has never really bothered me. I have a high tolerance for it. It’s the broken hearts that left the deepest scars." — Trace Adkins, Country Music Artist
The conversation, steered by Von, delved into one of the most jarring chapters of Adkins' life. "I heard that one of your wives— I don't even know how to say this— they shot ya," Von stated, initiating the discussion. Adkins, known for his dry wit, responded, "Yeah, that took it a little far, I thought." This remark underscored the gravity of the incident while also highlighting Adkins' characteristic composure in recalling such a traumatic event decades later.
The incident unfolded in early 1994, during a period when Adkins was grappling with addiction. He has openly discussed his struggles with alcohol for years, acknowledging his own contributions to the tumultuous environment of that time. The confrontation with Julie Curtis that night escalated rapidly, stemming from her concerns about his drinking. Adkins, however, drew a clear line at the use of a weapon. He described Curtis reaching for a .38-caliber pistol mid-argument, a move he considered "totally uncalled for." He expressed a desire for a peaceful resolution, recalling his thoughts at the time: "Just leave, you know. Let’s just call it quits. We don't have to go that far."
As Curtis armed herself with the pistol, Adkins reportedly moved toward her in an attempt to disarm her. During the ensuing struggle, the weapon discharged. The bullet entered beneath one of his arms and exited beneath the other, tearing a path through his chest, including his heart and both lungs. The immediate aftermath was defined by shock rather than pain, Adkins recalled. "I just remember getting off the floor and then taking a few steps and then going back down," he told Von.
Remarkably, no charges were ever filed against Julie Curtis in connection with the shooting. Adkins has publicly extended a surprising degree of grace and forgiveness to his ex-wife, even three decades after the incident. He shared his belief that "I don’t think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. She thought it was a toy." This perspective suggests a complex understanding of the circumstances and Curtis's state of mind during the intense confrontation.
The medical details of Adkins' survival are particularly astonishing. A bullet passing directly through the heart and both lungs is typically considered instantly fatal. Adkins explained that the close range of the shot was, paradoxically, what saved his life. Fired at such proximity, the round never fully expanded inside his body, preventing the catastrophic internal damage that a fully expanded bullet would have caused. He has bluntly referred to it as a "kill shot" that inexplicably failed to kill him. Von even interjected with gallows humor, remarking, "Thank God she shot you so close then."
Despite the profound physical trauma, Adkins insists that this particular injury was not the most painful experience of his life. In a 2022 interview with People magazine, he previously stated, "The physical pain— broken bones and surgeries and bullets and getting beat up and cut— has never really bothered me. I have a high tolerance for it. It’s the broken hearts that left the deepest scars." He views his survival as almost fated, asserting, "It wasn’t my time to go."
The years following the shooting indeed lent weight to that statement. His marriage to Curtis ended in 1994, the same year as the incident. By 1996, just two years after his near-death experience, Adkins released his debut single, "There's a Girl in Texas," marking the beginning of his ascent to country music superstardom. He has since married twice more and is currently wed to Canadian actress Victoria Pratt. Adkins also lightened the mood on the podcast by jokingly questioning the legitimacy of his current wedding, given that fellow country star Blake Shelton officiated.
Adkins also confirmed during the podcast that Curtis eventually apologized for the shooting, and he has long since forgiven her, reiterating, "I don’t think she meant to do it." Few artists in the country music genre can claim a backstory as improbable and resilient as Trace Adkins. He navigated a near-fatal shooting, a battle with addiction, and a tumultuous marriage, yet he emerged to build one of the genre's most enduring careers. Three decades later, he recounts the entire ordeal with a laugh, transforming what could have been a tragic end into another remarkable chapter in an already unbelievable life story.
