Kevin Hart received a standing ovation Sunday during E!’s People’s Choice Awards, his first official appearance since September’s near-fatal car crash.
“First and foremost, thank God because I definitely don’t have to be here,” the 40-year-old actor said while accepting the prize for best comedy act. “Being that I am, it makes me appreciate life even more. It makes me appreciate the things that really matter. Family. I want to thank my wife [Eniko Parrish], my kids, who really stepped up to the plate for me.”
He continued, “I also want to take the time to thank the People’s Choice Awards just for this, this is amazing, but more importantly, the people. You have no idea the effect you have on us as entertainers. Your energy, your support, it means the world and I truly want to thank you guys for being there for me in my difficult time. This is special, they all are. I do not take them for granted.”
Hart was involved in a crash earlier this year, in which he fractured his spine in three places while friend Jared Black was behind the wheel of the actor’s 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. The “Jumanji” star was hospitalized before entering a live-in rehab facility for physical therapy. He returned home in late September.
In October, Hart posted an emotional video detailing his recovery.
“In this case, I honestly feel like God told me to sit down. You know, you’re moving too fast, you’re doing too much sometimes you can’t see the things you’re meant to see,” Hart said in the clip.