Why Was Gretchen Wilson in a Wheelchair? Inside the “Redneck Woman’s” Health Battles

Country music singer Gretchen Wilson's career has seen its highs and lows. The Pocahontas, Ill. native made history almost right out of the gate with her single, "Redneck Woman," which became the first number one country hit by a female in two years.

However, with Gretchen's massive, record-breaking success has come a few setbacks. The Masked Singer winner has been candid about her health struggles over the years, including a challenging period in a wheelchair. Here's what to know.

Not too long before she took home her The Masked Singer prize, Gretchen was in a wheelchair after suffering a severe leg injury. The singer explained to Us Weekly that the injury forced her to be wheelchair-bound and wear a cast for nearly a year.

"I destroyed my left leg, and I was in a wheelchair for eight months with a cast,” she recalled.

Gretchen shared she was still in a boot for six months before agreeing to be on The Masked Singer. She said working in her condition put her on high alert while filming.

“That was probably the scariest part for me, was, ‘Can I put on these boots? Can I get up and down those stairs with the extra weight? Can I do these little dance moves?’ It’s not much, but for me, it was pretty challenging. … At the end of each day, I was just like, ‘Man, I made it through another day. I can keep doing this.’ And so after a few days of being on set, I was like, ‘I’m going all the way!’”

Still, Gretchen said joining and later winning the show allowed her to prove she was still open to a career after a life-altering experience.

“It was a real chance for me to be able to prove to myself whether I’ve still got it,” she explained to Variety. “If I should be thinking about the next 10 years professionally, or the next 10 years in retirement.”

Gretchen's leg injury came after the singer dealt with several other health issues that forced her to take a break from showbiz. The Grammy winner shared with Fox News Digital that the health problems, including high blood pressure, began after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020.

"I was one of the very first to get it, and it was a heck of a round," she reflected. "It left me with high blood pressure, shortness of breath, asthma – all of which I still have – and it took about two years for me to find the right doctors, cardiologists to get it all sorted, to find the right medicine to get my blood pressure down. I mean, it was pretty severe. It was bad enough that I couldn't even do light housework without the blood pressure going up to scary levels."

Gretchen said her COVID complications, paired with her leg injury, made her isolate herself from her passion and her fans. She explained she "had a lot to work through" that had to be done away from the spotlight.

"So I just stayed away, figured it out," she said. "Like I said, it took a long time, but I finally got myself into a place where I was like, 'Okay, I feel like I'm back.'"

We're so glad Gretchen took time for herself and is back in action now!