Tim McGraw has been dealt another setback, this time being forced to walk away from a lucrative television show due to ongoing recovery from an injury sustained while on tour in 2024, as a source details exclusively for Closer how the country icon is choosing to focus on getting better while wife Faith Hill supports him all the way.
The country legend, 57, was slated to star in an upcoming scripted show about bull riding, but recently revealed complications from orthopedic surgery are preventing him from going through with filming.
“He’s following all the doctor’s orders, it was tough for him to give up this role because he was really excited about it, but it was the best choice for the project,” the insider says. The show will go on, just without Tim as series lead. “He’s an executive producer on it and no one on the team wants to postpone the shoot, as much as everyone wants Tim to do it, there’s simply no way he’ll be ready to take on this kind of demanding role anytime soon.”
Tim’s double-knee surgery in August 2024 left him debilitated and still in need of further treatment, including intensive recovery and an upcoming back surgery. He sustained the injury while on tour and ended up cancelling the rest of his dates once it became clear he would need a lot more care.
“He’s in a hell of a lot of pain now and once the surgery is done, he’ll need months of recovery and therapy sessions,” the insider explains. “It’s a really tough pill to swallow, especially so soon after he had to cancel all those tour dates but he’s doing his best to stay positive.”
Tim’s wife of nearly thirty years, Faith, 57, has been a rock for the country star for their entire relationship, even after his alcoholism threatened to destroy his career and their marriage.
“I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8 a.m. and thinking, ‘I have to wake the kids up,’” the “My Best Friend” singer told Esquire in 2021. He shares three daughters: Gracie, 27, Maggie, 26, and Audrey, 23, with his wife. “I went straight to my wife and said, ‘This is where I’m at.’ I was scared. She just grabbed me and hugged me and changed my life.”
“My wife always says, ‘You’re not scared of anything.’ I say, ‘Ehhh, one thing. I’m looking at it right now.’ I didn’t know love could feel so good. Was it an emotion? Was it a lifestyle? Was it an imaginary thing? But love is all of those things.”
As Tim is now facing many more months of painful recovery, the source notes that, like always, “Faith has been an amazing help at keeping his mindset positive.”
“She’s always so good at reminding him to focus on all he has to be grateful for, that has been huge for him as he navigates this.”