Comedian Laura Clery Crushed by 600-Pound Fridge During Home Renovation: 'Nearly Killed Me'
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Popular social media comedian and content creator Laura Clery recently sent shockwaves through her global fanbase after sharing a terrifying personal account of a near-fatal accident at her Los Angeles home earlier this month. Clery, who boasts more than 15 million combined followers across TikTok and Instagram for her relatable, unfiltered comedy skits about parenting, marriage, and chaotic everyday life, revealed that she was crushed by a 600-pound commercial-grade fridge while assisting with a kitchen renovation project at her property. According to Clery’s official account, she had offered to help hold the fridge steady while the hired installation team adjusted the flooring beneath the unit, completely unaware that the heavy appliance had not been properly secured to prevent tipping. Within seconds, the unbalanced fridge shifted forward and collapsed directly onto Clery, trapping her entire lower body under its full weight.
“I truly thought I was going to die right there,” Clery shared in a viral video posted to her Instagram feed, which has amassed over 12 million views to date. “All I could think about in those first few seconds were my two young kids, and how I might never get to watch them grow up. The pressure on my pelvis and lungs was so intense I could barely breathe, I couldn’t move an inch, and I was screaming so loud my throat was raw for three days after the incident.” Clery’s husband, musician Stephen Hilton, and the two on-site installation workers were able to lift the fridge off her after nearly two minutes of frantic, coordinated effort, and she was rushed to a nearby emergency room for immediate medical evaluation.
Medical scans revealed she had suffered a fractured pelvis, severe soft tissue damage, and deep bruising across her entire lower body, but miraculously avoided permanent nerve damage or paralysis that would have left her disabled long-term. Clery is currently in the middle of a 12-week physical therapy recovery plan, and has been documenting her progress in short, candid updates for her followers, pairing honest accounts of her pain and frustration with her signature self-deprecating sense of humor. She has also used the high-profile incident to advocate for better heavy appliance safety protocols, urging fans never to assist with moving or installing items over 100 pounds unless they are working with fully trained, insured professionals, and to always confirm that large household units are properly anchored to walls before getting close to them. Multiple celebrity friends, including fellow comedians Chelsea Handler and Tiffany Haddish, have reached out to offer their support and well wishes, and thousands of fans have shared their own stories of close calls with heavy household items in the comment sections of her posts.
Featured Comments
I’ve been following Laura’s content for 5 years now, and she’s always been such a positive, funny presence in my feed. My heart dropped when I saw her accident video, I’m so beyond relieved that she’s on the mend and there’s no permanent damage. I will absolutely never help move a heavy fridge ever again after hearing this, her warning is so important!
As someone who works in home renovation, this is 100% the installation team’s fault. You never ask a homeowner to help stabilize a 600-pound appliance, period. They should have had proper safety equipment to hold the unit in place while they worked, no exceptions. Wishing Laura a fast and painless recovery, she didn’t deserve this.
I had a 300-pound washing machine fall on me during a move a few years ago and I still have chronic hip pain from it, I can’t even imagine how scary it would be to have twice that weight on you. So glad she survived this, sending her so much love as she heals.
Her story just reminded me that I still haven’t anchored my fridge to the wall after my last move, I’m doing that first thing tomorrow. It’s such a small, easy step that so many people skip, and it could literally save your life. Hope Laura feels better soon!