Jenifer Lewis Hits Red Carpet Two Years After Near Fatal Fall

The legendary Jenifer Lewis of Black-ish fame is back to being her truly fabulous self. Speaking at the red carpet premiere of her upcoming film, Spellbound, the 69-year-old activist and Jackie’s Back! star celebrated her tenacity and strength following a near-fatal fall during a visit to Africa in 2022.

Lewis, nicknamed “The Mother of Black Hollywood,” first shared details of the harrowing accident with ABC News in March of this year.

What was meant to be “a trip of a lifetime” with close friend Laurie Petok soon took a dangerous turn when Lewis fell off the deck of a hotel in the Serengeti that wasn’t properly sectioned off for protection.

“When the sun sets in the Serengeti, there are no street lights. It’s pitch black,” Lewis explained, as reported by PEOPLE. “I was escorted to the lodge, my room, but I wasn’t given a tour. I should have been given a tour.”

An infinity pool on the deck caught Lewis’ attention and she decided to take a closer look. With no warning posted outside, Lewis couldn’t see the opening in a corner of the deck. She then fell 10 feet into a boulder-filled ravine.

“There was a space that was not sectioned off,” Lewis noted, “and there was no sign that said, ‘Caution, 10-foot drop.’”

In pain and shock, Lewis called for Petok to help. With a flashlight, she was able to find the injured Lewis – but she also found more potential danger via the wild animals just feet away from her injured friend.

“When Laurie ran to get help, I heard a lion roar,” she recalled with a chuckle. “My last thought, because I’m Jenifer Lewis, was ‘What a headline! The King Ate the Queen: Pieces of Jenifer Lewis’ Body Is Being Flown Back to the States.’”

Luckily, a team from Doctors With Borders was able to get to Jenifer before the animals could. They ultimately had her airlifted to a hospital in Kenya for treatment.

“As I laid in that helicopter, I was in and out of consciousness and all I could hear was my soul screaming, ‘Whatever this is Jenny, you’ll come back. If you’re breathing, you’ll come back,’” she told PEOPLE.

At the premiere of Spellbound, the resilient Ms. Lewis spoke to Entertainment Tonight and proclaimed her return in a way that only she could.

“The recovery process was unbelievable,” she told the celebrity news staple last Tuesday. “I learned so much [about myself]. My girlfriend said, ‘When you fell 10 feet in the Serengeti, it didn’t happen to you, it happened for you.’ And I assure you [all], I am stronger than ever – so, watch out!”

Lewis attributes her healing process to taking care of her body and her unbreakable spirit.

“Because of being an alpha female my entire life, my soul did not know how to not come back [from the fall]. They said no one over 30 could come back from this injury without a limp,” she said.

With a smirk, she continued, “Did you really think I was gonna limp on this red carpet? I don’t think so!”

In closing, she remarked, “Listen – the b-tch is back!”

One month after her Good Morning America appearance, Lewis graced our television screens once again, albeit disguised.

In the eighth episode of The Masked Singer’s eleventh season back in April, the Broadway diva was unmasked as the talent inside of Cleocatra (yes, that would be a cat dressed as Cleopatra). Speaking to the audience following her elimination, as Billboard shared, Jenifer explained that the show was a great way to help her step back into the spotlight.

“Listen guys, I took a long break,” Jenifer noted. “When [The Masked Singer] called, I said I haven’t been on stage singing for a long time. So, I said c’mon, let’s go. And it was fun, I had a blast.”

As she often does, Lewis shared a word of wisdom with the audience before taking her leave.

“You’re [all] so young and you’re so beautiful,” she declared with a mother’s touch. “Take care of yourselves. And be loving to one another, you hear me? That’s what I want for you.”

Coincidentally, another star from Black-ish, Marsai Martin, participated in the most recent cycle of The Masked Singer.

As Life & Style notes, the 20-year-old, appearing as the Woodpecker, was eliminated in the third episode. Lewis, who played Marsai’s grandmother on Black-ish, was brought back early in the episode as “Cleocatra” to be Marsai’s Masked Ambassador.

Following the young actress and producer’s elimination from the competition, Lewis met up with Marsai backstage for the first time since her fall.

“I didn’t even recognize you,” an emotional Lewis told Marsai before embracing her. “You were this little [when I last saw you], baby.”