The 52-year-old Australian pop star took to social media to admit that he had been trying to keep the whole ordeal private, but decided to reveal he had suffered a broken jaw in March and had lost several teeth after fainting when he got out of bed, in what could have been a fatal incident.
Alongside a selfie showing his broken jaw, he wrote on Instagram: "On March 17, 2 months to the day after my Mother passed away, I had a terrible accident. I've been trying to keep it private but my lengthy recovery period means it's easier to admit the truth."
"I lost consciousness - I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time. The blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half. I woke up in a pool of blood, terrible pain in my left side of my head and with 9 teeth shattered.
"I'm so lucky that I was found, and taken to the amazing team at the emergency room of St John's Providence in Santa Monica, where they acted quickly.
"I could have died if I landed in a different position."
The To The Moon and Back hitmaker - best known as part of the 1990s duo Savage Garden - underwent emergency surgery but still has no idea what caused him to faint in the first place.
"They scanned for and ruled out heart issues and anything neurological. I was a scheduled for emergency reconstructive surgery and this happened on March 21st," he said.
"The incredible surgeons inserted a titanium brace to re-connect my jaw bones and my mouth was wired shut for a minimum of 8 weeks while the left jaw bone could heal.
"Prior to the fall I had been experiencing light headedness and fainting spells for a period before this incident. I am under incredible care."
He said he does not take drugs or drink alcohol, and the accident was a "complete shock".
Hayes, who was married to Richard Cullen from 2013 until 2024, concluded his post by noting that he is "only just" starting to improve and is "grateful" to those he has around him despite the "deep sadness" he has had to deal with in his personal life.
"After surviving a brutal divorce, losing my Mother, finding out my father died and then this I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and I'll come back strong," he said.
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