Morgan Freeman has been a legendary actor for decades, and he was one of the presenters at the 2025 Oscars. He gave a touching tribute to his friend Gene Hackman, who was found dead at age 95, less than a week before the Oscars ceremony. During his tribute to Hackman, viewers at home noticed that Freeman was wearing a black glove on one hand, and it raised some concern for the veteran actor.

“Was something up with Morgan Freeman’s hand?” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. They weren’t alone. Another person asked, “Morgan Freeman … does he have a fake hand?” Others joked about it on X: “He got a pet falcon. It can land any time.”

There’s actually a good (though sad) reason that Freeman wears a glove on his left hand. He was in a car accident in 2008, and it caused nerve damage, which could not be repaired, even after surgery. This means that at times the injury can cause radiating pain through his arm, and a compression glove helps manage that. He’s essentially lost the use of his left hand, but we love to see that he hasn’t let that stop him from showing up at large events like the Oscars.

Morgan Freeman’s injury hasn’t stopped him from working

Even with the physical setback, very little could deter the seasoned performer. You can even see Morgan Freeman wearing a glove in character as Secretary of State in Season 2 of “Special Ops: Lioness,” a Paramount+ show by Taylor Sheridan, creator of “Yellowstone.” He’s also frequently seen wearing it off-screen.

Others weren’t concerned as much for Freeman’s hand, but they were more worried about Freeman’s emotional health at the Oscars as he talked about Gene Hackman. One person wrote on X, “Somebody give Morgan Freeman a hug, he needs one, especially after looking like he was going to ugly cry on national TV.”

Another user was just happy to see him on screen: “Any time I see Morgan Freeman in a role or just in a serious discussion, I hang at his every word. The man is brilliant. A sweet and excellent speech for his friend this evening.”