Jeremy Renner and His Journey Back From Death: Love Is the Only Thing That Remains

This morning, actor Jeremy Renner appeared on The View to share the harrowing accident that forever changed his life — a 14,000-pound snowplow accident on New Year’s Day 2023. The emotional conversation was not only moving because of Renner’s story but also due to an unexpected connection to the classic film Ghost, in which host Whoopi Goldberg once starred — a story also about death, love, and a poignant return.

Renner was on the show to promote his newly released memoir My Next Breath, in which he recounts the near-death moment when he was crushed while trying to stop the snowplow from running over his nephew. The accident left him with over 30 broken bones and nearly cost him his life right outside his home. “I died right there on the driveway to my house,” Renner writes in the book.

When asked by host Alyssa Farah Griffin about what he remembered from the moment of dying, Renner became visibly emotional. “It’s always kind of tough to talk about,” he said. “But I realize over time that so many people share similar experiences when they go through a near-death event. It’s a real thing. And how consistent they are — that’s quite beautiful.”

He continued, “I can say this — love is the only thing you take with you. It is the only essential thing that exists in our bodies and spirits while we’re alive. It’s the DNA of our spirit. Love is the only thing that really matters. Hate cannot exist on its own — it only survives on the coattails of love.”

Renner added, with a mix of humor and sorrow, “It was a really beautiful place. Sadly, I got ripped back from that space into a busted-up old body. I saw my eyeball, my twisted legs, and I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got to figure this out.’”

Renner’s heartfelt words prompted Whoopi Goldberg to reflect on her own role in the 1990 film Ghost, where she played the psychic Oda Mae Brown — a performance that earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. In the movie, Patrick Swayze plays Sam Wheat, a man who is murdered and becomes a ghost, wandering the earth in an effort to protect his beloved Molly (played by Demi Moore).

“There are lots of reasons to try to remain when you feel you’re on your way out,” Goldberg told Renner. “That’s the movie Ghost. It’s love — you take it with you. That’s the last thing he says to Molly. So, it’s good to know it’s not just a movie line.”

Jeremy Renner’s story is a powerful testament to how love can drive us to overcome even the most unimaginable circumstances. He returned not just from a devastating accident but also with a message that resonates deeply: what truly matters in life is not fame, fortune, or power — it’s love. It’s the only thing we take with us when everything else fades away.