You probably know Adam Devine as the hilarious guy from Pitch Perfect, Workaholics, or his goofy guest spots on Modern Family. But behind all those laughs is a powerful story of survival, resilience, and an unbelievable childhood trauma that still impacts him to this day.
Devine recently sat down with In Depth With Graham Bensinger and shared a jaw-dropping chapter from his past—one that began when he was just 11 years old.
‘Pitch Perfect’ star Adam Devine talks about his health
One ordinary day, Devine and a friend were heading to a corner store to grab some candy and magazines. It was a routine childhood errand—until the unthinkable happened. While crossing the street, Adam was hit by a 42-ton cement truck. The impact was so massive it threw him 500 feet, collapsed a lung, and put him into a coma for two weeks.
The damage was extensive. He couldn’t walk for two years. He underwent over 26 surgeries right after the accident, followed by at least a dozen more over the years. His legs, hips, groin, and back were all seriously injured. He needed skin grafts, ligament repairs, and intense physical therapy just to regain basic mobility.
In his signature self-deprecating humor, Devine joked that his legs ended up looking like “uncooked chicken.”
Fast forward to adulthood—after years of managing the lingering effects of the accident—Adam’s health suddenly took another dark turn. Just a month before the birth of his son Beau, doctors told him he had Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare and incurable neurological disorder that causes extreme muscle stiffness and spasms.
Understandably, the diagnosis was crushing. He was terrified of dying young and leaving his son without a father. “I thought I had a few years left,” he shared. “It was the darkest moment of my life.”
But after seeking a second opinion—specifically from a neurologist who literally helped name SPS—Adam finally got clarity. Turns out, the terrifying symptoms weren’t SPS at all. They were the result of his old accident catching up with his body.
His intense workouts over the past few years—CrossFit, cycling, and more—had pushed his already-damaged muscles too far, triggering painful spasms and tightness.
Even with a corrected diagnosis, Adam still lives with daily pain. Sitting, walking, or standing for too long causes discomfort. But instead of letting it stop him, he’s chosen to keep moving forward—both figuratively and literally.
In fact, it was during his initial recovery in a wheelchair as a child that Adam first discovered his talent for comedy. Bored at home, he began calling radio stations to do funny impressions and win CDs. That unexpected hobby gave him the confidence to pursue a career in entertainment—and the rest is history.
These days, Adam is trying stem cell treatments to help manage the pain and says he’s feeling better than he has in years. He’s still acting, still cracking jokes, and now, he’s even more grateful for life and his family.
“Getting through something that horrible taught me how to appreciate every moment,” he said. “Even the painful ones.”
