Country singer Trace Adkins says he was shot by his ex-wife, Julie Curtis, during a domestic dispute in 1994. In accounts of the incident shared publicly, Adkins describes an argument that included his drinking habits, after which Curtis allegedly fired a handgun. He says the bullet passed through his heart and both lungs, grazing critical areas rather than fully stopping him immediately. Adkins reports that he required emergency open-heart surgery to survive. He also says he later chose to forgive Curtis, adding that he believed she may not have understood the danger of the gun. Adkins credits medical professionals for saving his life after the near-fatal injury. The outlets describing the story also emphasize his characterization of the moment as a “kill shot,” while both accounts are consistent that the shooting involved Curtis and that the wound affected his heart and lungs.