Christy Carlson Romano: Birdshot Still Behind Eye a Year Later

Christy Carlson Romano is offering a detailed update on her recovery, one year after a clay pigeon shooting accident left her with birdshot embedded in her face. In an interview with Fox News Digital published on Saturday, October 24, the 42-year-old actress said a fragment remains behind her eye, roughly a millimeter from anything critical.

"I still have birdshot behind my eye about a millimeter away from anything critical," Romano told Fox News Digital. "And if it were to move, I would go blind. So, we're hoping that doesn't happen."

The incident occurred in 2025 while Romano and her husband, Brendan Rooney, were shooting clay pigeons with friends to celebrate his 42nd birthday. Romano was struck multiple times in the face. She told Fox News Digital that the shot came from about 250 feet away and struck a fat pocket under her eye as well as her forehead.

Romano recounted the assessment of her oculoplastic surgeon, who she said typically treats children injured by Nerf gun shots. "It just so happened to hit the right fat pocket right under the eye," she told Fox News Digital. "And I really almost survived through a miracle because I think there was any amount of outcomes when it came to having birdshot striking my skull and my face."

The experience has reshaped her perspective, particularly as a parent. Romano shares two daughters with Rooney. "I, at one point, thought that I was going to die," she told Fox News Digital. "And when you have children, you can't help but start to see the world completely differently after an accident like that."

Romano also expressed gratitude in 2025 for the first responders who cared for her after the accident. She details the incident in her memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck.

The update comes as Romano continues to speak publicly about the lasting physical and emotional effects of the shooting. Her account underscores the risks associated with firearms, even in recreational settings, and the unpredictable consequences of projectile injuries.