A freak accident caused by Gerard Butler left Hilary Swank injured on set. Has she forgiven him since?

It has been a decade and a half since audiences got a good cry with PS I Love You. During that time, Gerald Butler and Hilary Swank have gone on to have many more roles and have great box office success. But that film in particular has given the talented actor nightmares all as a result of a stunt gone wrong that almost permanently injured Swank.

The Bounty Hunter star has worked on his fair share of films involving stunts. With everything from learning to use weapons to simulated hand-to-hand combat, Butler has quite the repertoire with roles that require him to be physical and get his body in peak form to do so, sometimes to the point of near ruin.

But with PS I Love You, the sometimes sad and other times comedic film was not one that required Butler to hone any special tactical skills. Yet, in the midst of shooting, an unfortunate incident still happened.

And the 300 star did not know if it was one that would cause long-term damage to Swank or if their friendship could survive it.

Here is information on whether Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank are on speaking terms after he sent her to the hospital while filming PS I Love You.

The Incident That Almost “Killed” Hilary Swank

For fans of PS I Love You, the scene where Butler is dancing around the bedroom in nothing but boxers and suspenders is a hilarious and unforgettable one. It is this scene that caused production to shut down after the suspenders seriously injured Swank.

“I remember saying to the director, ‘I’m not going to think about myself in this movie. I’m only going to think about her,'” Butler explained of his approach to his role in the movie.

The goal was to “make sure she’s okay and she’s cool because that’s kinda how this guy was.” And using this method to portray Gerry in the film, “made the experience so much more fun” for The Ugly Truth star as he was able to “get out of [his] head.”

But this sweet way of treating Swank is the same one that almost got her “killed.”

“The camera people had plastic fronts to protect themselves from this crocodile clip,” Butler stated. “It was so dangerous, I had to ping it and it would go past my face.”

The Playing for Keeps star continued, saying, “This time, I’m crawling towards the bed, it gets stuck, it releases, flies over my head, hits her in the head, slashes her head. I cut her open, you could even see the teeth.”

As a result of the incident, the Boys Don’t Cry star was immediately rushed to the hospital and Butler was left alone on set to reflect on what had just happened.

“Literally, imagine this studio and in three seconds everybody is gone and I’m just sitting there in my boxer shorts and my boots and a pair of socks and I just started crying,” Butler explained. “I was like, ‘I just scarred Hilary Swank. I almost took her eye out, and I just made a fool of myself for two days.'”

The Long Has Fallen star lamented, “She’s so cool and so great to work with that I almost killed her.”

Fortunately, the injury was not too bad and filming was able to resume in short order after Swank, who has been a consummate professional since the time she got her break in Hollywood, returned from the hospital.

Where Gerard Butler And Hilary Swank’s Relationship Stands Today

As traumatic as almost getting a suspender clip in the eye may have been for Swank, there were no hard feelings between her and Butler after it happened. A fact that can be seen when the two interviewed one another on Moviefone’s Unscripted to discuss the movie.

“We had a lot of fun as you can see. A barrel of laughs every day,” the Million Dollar Baby star who has stayed quite active in Hollywood, said in between banter that caused both she and Butler to laugh during their interview.

The incident with the suspender clips was even brought up briefly. But instead of it appearing to traumatize Swank, she called it a “minor accident” instead.

The two have even run into one another on the red carpet over the years. And both have not only been happy to post for a photo op for the news outlets and paparazzi but look genuinely happy to be in one another’s company, just as they were when attending the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards.

What was said between the two is unknown. But given the warm embrace and a few moments of conversation, it is clear that there are fond feelings between Butler and the actress who once quit acting that no on-set accident killed. It may have actually brought them closer instead.

Whether Hilary Swank and Gerald Butler Will Star In The PS I Love You Sequel

Given the box office success of PS I Love You, a sequel has been green-lighted. And with the on-screen chemistry that Swank and Butler had in the original, fans are curious whether the two will reunite for PS I Love You, Postscript.

The synopsis of the sequel is that it takes place seven years after PS I Love You. Holly’s sister asks her to retell the story of the letters that Gerry left behind on a podcast as it has helped other widows move on from the loss of their spouses. But, Holly is uncertain she wants to go back to the past when she has moved on from losing Gerry.

How both Swank and Butler would be able to be in the film is uncertain. And because of this, fans are torn about whether a sequel is a good idea or not.

“I’m so excited for the PS I Love You sequel. Y’all don’t mind me,” one Twitter fan stated. Another user raised concerns if Butler was not in the film.

“Ok, so PS I Love You is getting a sequel and if it doesn’t have[Gerry] in it, what’s the point?”

Over the years, Butler has been asked if he would do another film where he played a character with an Irish accent. If the Plane star has anything to say about it, the answer would be a resounding, “No.”

“After all those wonderful reviews and glorious feedback, I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ve ticked that box,” Butler said after his accent was ridiculed in the film.

As such, it is unlikely that Butler will be making another appearance as Gerry. Whether Swank wants to step back into her role of Holly, however, remains to be seen.