Supernatural fans got some scary news when Jensen Ackles showed up to a convention on Sunday without his TV brother Jared Padalecki, who was also scheduled to appear. The actor who played Dean Winchester on the hit fantasy drama revealed that Padalecki had been involved in a “really, really bad car accident” and was lucky to be alive.
Both Winchester brothers were scheduled to appear on April 24 at Creation Entertainment’s Supernatural Official Convention in Brunswick, New Jersey. However, Jensen Ackles informed the crowd about the emergency that kept the Walker star from appearing. Ackles told fans that Jared Padalecki sent his love and was sad that he was missing the event. The Boys actor also said (per a video of the panel) that he had spoken to his on-screen brother, whom he'd recently reunited with to direct a Walker episode, and Padalecki had given him permission to share the information with their fans:
He was in a very bad car accident. He wasn’t driving. He was in the passenger seat, and he’s lucky to be alive.
Jensen Ackles didn’t mention when or where the accident happened or under what circumstances, but he was able to confirm there were no fatalities. Jared Padalecki’s injuries were also not specified, but apparently he was still feeling the effects of the airbags, which did deploy. Ackles said:
He’s at home recovering, which — the fact that he’s not even in the hospital right now is, like, blowing my mind because I saw the car… That airbag packs a punch. He’s like, ‘I feel like I went 12 rounds with Tyson.’ But he is doing OK, and he’s moving around. But yeah, [it was a] really, really bad car accident. Just keep him in your thoughts, send him some love if you get a chance on social and he’ll be back with us soon.
It sounds like a really serious situation, and that must have been devastating news for the fans who gathered at the fan convention. Jared Padalecki posted on Twitter on April 21, apologizing to fans that he wouldn’t be able to attend the event, but he made no mention at the time of the accident:
Hey #SpnFamily! Sorry to miss y’all in NYC this weekend. Thank you and the #WalkerFamily for all the love and support. Can’t wait to see y’all again. 🙏❤️April 21, 2022
Neither of the Winchester actors have addressed the accident on social media. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles portrayed Sam and Dean on Supernatural for 15 seasons, so their brotherhood runs deep. It's been over a year since that polarizing series finale, and they've moved on to separate projects. Ackles joined The Boys for Season 3 as Soldier Boy and is executive producing the Supernatural prequel series The Winchesters, which will add new elements to the franchise's mythos. Padalecki, meanwhile, is playing the leading role on Walker. However, the duo has already found ways to continue to working together.
The Smallville alum directed Jared Padalecki in the Season 2 Walker episode "No Such Thing as Fair Play," which aired on The CW on April 14. It was Jensen Ackles' first non-Supernatural directing credit. While Ackles' schedule won't allow it right now, he hasn't totally ruled out an on-screen reunion with Padalecki on Walker, and surely fans would be delighted to see what hijinks he could get into in Austin. He also said he "wouldn't be surprised" if they do something Supernatural-related as their next project together. I think I know thousands of fans who would be okay with that!
We are so relieved to hear that Jared Padalecki is recovering at home, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. You can catch him in action on Thursday nights, with new episodes of Walker airing at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. You'll have to wait a little longer for Jensen Ackles, as Season 3 of The Boys will be available for streaming with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video on Friday, June 3.
