Darren Hayes, one-half of the former Australian duo Savage Garden, revealed that he “could have died” last month when he fainted and then collapsed three times, ultimately shattering his jaw.
The 52-year-old singer-songwriter shared a selfie on Instagram Friday of his dislodged jaw, which occurred during a “terrible accident” in Santa Monica, Calif. on March 17.
“I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time,” Hayes said. “The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half.”
Darren Hayes/Instagram
Darren Hayes posted to instagram on Friday, April 18, 2025.
Hayes said he awoke in a pool of blood, with “terrible pain” on the left side of his head and with nine teeth “shattered.”
“I could have died if I landed in a different position,” he added, noting that he underwent emergency reconstructive surgery days later and still has his jaw wired shut.
Hayes said he had been experiencing lightheadedness and fainting spells prior to the accident, but that doctors are still trying to figure out the cause.
“They scanned for and ruled out heart issues and anything neurological,” he explained. “So far my heart is normal, my arteries are normal and I don’t have a brain tumor or anything that could cause the accident.”
Hayes clarified that he does not drink or use drugs (“no judgement to those who partake”), so neither would have contributed.
He told fans that he’d be “out of action for quite some time,” noting that he’d already had to cancel multiple public events, but promised he’d “come back strong.”
Hayes and Daniel Jones were the two behind Savage Garden, known for hit songs like “Truly Madly Deeply” and “I Knew I Loved You.” The duo sold more than 20 million copies of their two studio albums between 1997 and 2001, at which point Hayes announced that they’d parted ways.
