Trace Adkins is the latest guest on Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, with the comedian asking Adkins about his lengthy career so far, his past relationships and more.

The conversation takes a more serious turn when Von asks Adkins about the infamous story of his ex-wife shooting him. Adkins’ ex, Julie Curtis, shot the country hitmaker in February 1994 following a reported argument about Adkins’ excessive drinking. The bullet went through Adkins’ heart and both lungs, nearly killing him.

When Von raises the subject of the violent incident, Adkins begins with a jovial, light-hearted tone, “Yeah, that took it a little far, I thought...That was uncalled for. That was totally uncalled for. Just leave...Let's just call it quits, and we don't have to go that far”.

He then questions Adkins about whether he thinks she was intending to kill him, to which the ‘You're Gonna Miss This’ crooner responds, “I don't think [she meant to kill me], man. I don't think she even had any idea what that gun was going to do. I'd never seen her hold a gun. I'd never seen her shoot a gun. I knew she had one, but I'd never seen her use it...I just I don't think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. She thought it was a toy, you know?”

He recalls that the argument arose because she “wanted me to leave and I wasn't going to leave”, adding, “She put it under my left arm, and the bullet came out under my right arm, so it went straight through...I told her to give me the gun. She just shot me...I think when one is that serious, your body protects you. You just go into shock. You don't really feel anything. I just remember getting up off the floor and then taking a few steps and then going back down. That's all I remember”.

He underlines how, if the bullet had been fired from slightly further away, he might not be here today, “It went straight through my heart and both my lungs...It was a kill shot...The doctor said the only reason I survived was because the bullet went through at pointblank velocity, at muzzle velocity, so it didn't have time to mushroom. It was just, you know, muzzle velocity, so it just went straight through”.

Adkins decided not to press charges at the time, with the couple divorcing a matter of months after the incident. Adkins has been married to actor Victoria Pratt since 2019.

Adkins recently released his new single, ‘American Made’, with the Louisiana native debuting the track during the A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration show.

Elsewhere during his interview with Von, Adkins reflects on his emergence in the country music industry in the ‘90s, his current creative process, his 30th anniversary tour and more.