On January 20, Carrie Underwood captivated audiences with her performance of “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump’s inauguration. In the days leading up to the event, the singer called for “unity” in a public statement. However, her performance has stirred renewed interest in her 2017 accident. Many are now wondering about the story behind Underwood’s face injury.

Here is more about Underwood’s accident and face injury.

Carrie Underwood’s face injury explained

Carrie Underwood’s face injury has been a subject of curiosity since the country singer opened up about it after a freak accident in 2017. In a post to her fans, Underwood revealed that she broke her wrist and suffered a facial injury, requiring 40 to 50 stitches. The accident occurred when she tripped while walking her dogs at night. On The Bobby Bones Show, the singer said, “I was taking the dogs out to go pee one last time, and I just—I tripped. There was one step, and I didn’t let go of the leashes! Priorities! So that’s why my left hand’s fine. But I went to catch myself and I just missed a step.”

While initially, she thought it was just a minor injury, it turned out to be more severe. In addition to the wrist break, Underwood had to deal with the visible scar on her face, which she later explained was a result of the stitches. The injuries also affected her singing career. Stitches inside and outside her mouth made vocal performance challenging, and Underwood had to retrain herself to sing certain words clearly. She described her return to the studio as a “mind game,” filled with self-doubt about how her voice might have changed. (via Vulture)

Speculation about the accident led to rumors of plastic surgery, which Underwood dismissed with humor and candor. Addressing the gossip, she said she wished she had undergone surgery to make the scar less noticeable but emphasized that the truth was “just as interesting.” (via Redbook)

Today, Underwood rarely references the fall, though she carries a faint scar above her lip.