Kristin Chenoweth Regrets Not Pursuing Legal Action After 'The Good Wife' Injury

Kristin Chenoweth is opening up about "long-standing injuries" that she continues to suffer following an accident on the production of CBS' "The Good Wife" in 2012.

The actress revealed on "Watch What Happens Live" that she regrets not taking legal action against the network after she was struck by a piece of lighting equipment while filming a scene in Brooklyn, New York City, an incident that she said "practically killed" her.

Chenoweth appeared on the talk show to promote her new book, "I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts," in which she detailed the "Good Wife" accident and its immediate aftermath.

Explaining her mindset in the months following the incident, she said, "I didn't do it out of fear and anxiety. Don't ever let fear rule your life. I have long-standing injuries from that. I wish I had listened to my dad. He said, 'You're going to want to do this.' We're not the 'suing family,' but when you're practically killed..."

Chenoweth went on to recall the 2012 set incident, which occurred while she was playing a recurring role in Season 4 of the series. She revealed that a piece of lighting equipment fell and struck her during filming.

"I heard, like, a flagpole sound. I literally heard, 'We're losing the light.' I heard, 'Action.' And I woke up at Bellevue [Hospital]," she told host Andy Cohen. "It hit me in the face and it threw me into a curb."

The actress said that she sustained a "seven-inch skull fracture, a hairline fracture, cracked teeth and ribs" from the accident.

According to Chenoweth, her hair extensions were a life-saver. She even jokingly promoted them to those who were considering getting them.

"My hair extensions, you know, made the hairline fracture go together. My doctor said, 'What are these metal things?' And I said, 'They're hair extensions.' And he said, 'They saved your life,'" she joked. "So, anyone who wants to get hair extensions should, for your health."

Following the incident, Chenoweth announced her departure from "The Good Wife" due to her injuries.

She previously opened up about the incident in her 2022 essay collection "My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves." In the write-up, she admitted she did not take legal action for fear that it might negatively affect her career.

"I was advised by a couple of folks on my team and outside of my team too that it would be unwise to attempt to hold CBS accountable for what was clearly their responsibility," she wrote, per an excerpt obtained by Marie Claire. "I was told that I'd never work again if I sued a major network. And that scared me. I let fear take over and did what so many people do — especially women — in the face of going up against someone or something more powerful than they are. I shrunk."

She continued. "I'm telling my story about what happened, and I really don't care if CBS never hires me again. They knew I was hurt really badly, but they exploited the power they held over a person like me. I'm a working actor — keyword working. Unfortunately, the powers that be at CBS at the time did not take responsibility for what happened to me, but there's a new regime at the network and they're just lovely to work with. Leadership matters. Full stop."

CBS Studios did not comment on Chenoweth's revelations, according to Variety.