Trace Adkins Reveals Why He Forgave His Ex-Wife for Shooting Him in the Heart

Trace Adkins has what might be the world's best reason for holding a grudge against his second wife, Julie Curtis.

On Feb. 21, 1994, she shot him at point-blank range in the heat of an argument, and the bullet went straight through his heart and lungs. The injury nearly killed him.

READ MORE: Trace Adkins Didn't Press Charges After His Ex-Wife Shot Him in the Heart

But the singer didn't press charges.

Not only that, but he seems to have forgiven his ex.

Trace Adkins Explains Why He Forgave His Ex-Wife for Shooting Him in the Heart

Akins spoke calmly when he recalled the incident during a new interview on This Past Weekend w/Theo Von. "It was a long time ago," he said matter-of-factly.

But that's not the only reason why he's found peace. Simply put, he thinks that his ex-wife never really intended to hurt him.

"Oh yeah," he responded, when Theo Von asked if she'd apologized. "You know, I've just always felt like, I don't think she meant to do it, man. I don't think she thought she was gonna hurt me. She thought I was indestructible."

To hear Adkins tell it, it also seems like Julie wasn't all that familiar with firearms. He knew she owned one — and Adkins was and is a gunowner himself — but he'd never seen her use it.

"I don't think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. Thought it was a toy," he continues.

Why Did Trace Adkins' Second Wife Shoot Him?

Adkins has admitted to struggling with alcohol over the years, and his drinking has been a contributing factor to several turbulent marriages. In 1994, during his marriage to Julie, the two got into an argument over a drinking binge.

He tried to disarm her, and she shot him.

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"She was mad, yeah. Wanted me to to leave. That's how it went down," Adkins tells Von. "She put [the gun] under my left arm and the bullet came out under my right arm. So, that's how it went through."

How Seriously Was Trace Adkins Injured When His Wife Shot Him In the Heart?

Adkins was grievously injured in the altercation. He had to be transported to Vanderbilt via life flight helicopter, and he underwent emergency surgery.

"It was a kill shot," Adkins now recounts.

According to his doctor, he adds, "the only reason that I survived was because the bullet went through at point-blank velocity. So it didn't have time to mushroom. It was just, you know, muzzle velocity, so it just went straight through."

He describes the recovery process as pretty agonizing, too.

"When they trauma surgery, they just cut you and crack you open," he recounts. "...They stretch everything and break stuff. They're just trying to get you open to get to your heart and save your life. And thank God. If it wasn't for that life flight and Vanderbilt, I wouldn't be here."

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He had open heart surgery again six months after the incident, and continues to get regular checkups to monitor his heart health. But despite all that, Adkins doesn't seem to harbor any more anger toward his ex-wife now, more than three decades after the incident.

He even had a couple of jokes when he told the story on Von's podcast.

"That took it just a little far, I thought," he said, of his ex-wife's decision to shoot him. "That was uncalled for. Just leave. Let's call it quits."