Omar Gooding is recovering in the hospital after a serious car crash left him with a painful neck injury.
The actor, 49, shared the news in a video posted from his hospital bed, revealing that he had been asleep in the back seat when the accident happened.
“Alright, alright, there will not be a clone of me. I’m good,” Gooding said. “No surgery, thank Jesus.”
Doctors diagnosed Gooding with what is known as a hangman’s fracture, a break in the second vertebra of the neck that is often linked to high-impact crashes.
“Yes, I was in a bad accident. No I did not break my neck … completely,” he wrote in the caption alongside the video. “Hangman’s fracture is what they call it.”
Gooding said doctors expect him to spend about three months recovering. He credited his seatbelt with preventing the injuries from becoming even worse. The actor later shared a second message, saying that while he was trying to stay positive, the pain had been intense.
“I don’t want none of this upbeatness to fool y’all,” he said. “I’m … in a lot of pain!” He added, “It hurts to talk. It hurts to laugh.”
Gooding asked fans and friends to give him space while he heals, explaining that even small movements are difficult right now.
Known for roles in Baby Boy and the TV series Smart Guy, Gooding thanked supporters for their prayers and urged everyone to wear their seatbelts.