Kristin Chenoweth opens up about 'The Good Wife' accident: 'Don't ever let fear rule your life'

Kristin Chenoweth is sharing some wisdom she learned from a severe, on-set accident she suffered a decade ago.

During an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,” Cohen asked Chenoweth about injuries she suffered while filming the CBS drama “The Good Wife” in 2012, which Chenoweth details in her book “I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts.”

Chenoweth said she refrained from taking legal action against the television network at the time, a decision she would later come to regret.

“I didn’t do it out of fear and anxiety, so don’t ever let fear rule your life,” Chenoweth said. “I have long-standing injuries from that, so I wish I had listened to my dad, who said, ‘You’re going to want to do this.’ And we’re not the suing family, but when you’re practically killed.”

The Emmy-winning actress said she sustained a 7-inch skull fracture, as well as injuries to her ribs and teeth, after a piece of lighting equipment hit her in the face and “threw me into a curb.” She said the hair extensions she was wearing at the time of the accident helped minimize the severity of the fracture.

“My hair extensions saved my (life),” Chenoweth said. “It made the hairline fracture go together. My doctor said, ‘What are these metal things?’ I said, ‘They’re hair extensions.’ And he said, ‘They’ve saved your life.’”

She added: “So, anybody who wants to get hair extensions should, for your health.”

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Kristin Chenoweth left ‘The Good Wife’ after on-set accident

Chenoweth was injured on the set of “The Good Wife” in New York in July 2012, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times, BBC News and TMZ. Chenoweth, who was hospitalized for her injuries, played Peggy Byrne for two episodes during the series’ fourth season.

Following the accident, CBS said a gust of wind blew a lighting silk – a “cloth used to soften or deflect artificial light or sunlight during shooting” – out of place, which caused the light to hit Chenoweth, according to BBC. Photos obtained by TMZ showed Chenoweth lying on a gurney while wearing a neck brace after the accident.

While a New York City Fire Department representative said a woman injured on set suffered “minor injuries,” Chenoweth later released a statement announncing her departure from “The Good Wife” to focus on her recovery.

"It is with deep regret I inform everyone that due to my injuries I am unable to return to ‘The Good Wife’ at this time," Chenoweth said. "Getting better slowly and thank you everyone for your concern."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kristin Chenoweth talks aftermath of her accident on 'The Good Wife'