For actor Quinton Aaron, best known for his breakout role opposite Sandra Bullock in the 2009 hit film The Blind Side, the vows “in sickness and in health” recently took a shockingly literal, and legally complicated, turn.
The 41-year-old actor spoke exclusively to Good Morning America from an Atlanta hospital, where he is currently in physical therapy recovering from a near-fatal spinal stroke he suffered in January. But fighting for his life was only half the battle.
Aaron revealed that while he was incapacitated, his family discovered the woman he thought was his wife, Margarita DeLeon, was still legally married to another man.
EXCLUSIVE: "The Blind Side" star Quinton Aaron speaks out after he says he made a shocking discovery about his marriage while fighting for his life in the hospital after a spinal stroke in January.
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Aaron spent four days in a coma and required breathing assistance for a month following his stroke. When he finally woke up, his family had to deliver the stunning news: Margarita was legally unable to make his medical decisions.
“The entire time we were together, she told me she had been divorced for ten-plus years,” Aaron explained on GMA.
The couple tied the knot two years ago at a wedding chapel in Los Angeles. According to Aaron and records obtained by his attorney, DeLeon even signed their marriage license under penalty of perjury, stating she was unmarried. In reality, she was still legally bound to a man she wed in 1992.
Once the truth came to light, doctors were forced to remove her from his immediate care circle. Looking back, Aaron admits his own fault in the situation, acknowledging that he truly loved her but missed the red flags.
“That’s my biggest mistake,” he shared. “A lot of it was blissful ignorance. A lot of stuff I didn’t want to know.”
DeLeon maintains that the situation was a massive, unintentional oversight. She told GMA that she genuinely believed her previous divorce had been finalized years ago, while also noting there had always been tension between her and Aaron’s family.
Her legal husband, who officially filed for divorce this past February in the midst of Aaron’s health crisis, corroborated her story, confirming that both of them believed their marriage had been dissolved years prior.
Despite the marital shock and the grueling physical toll of his illness, Aaron is keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the future. He has lost over 100 pounds and is actively managing the diabetes that ultimately contributed to his spinal stroke.
Currently enduring three hours of physical therapy every day, Aaron refuses to accept the doctors’ projections that it could take up to a year for him to walk unassisted.
“I don’t claim that time frame. I’ll be walking a lot sooner than you think,” he stated confidently. “Between me, my faith, and my relationship with God, I feel like I’m going to be back up on my feet very soon.”
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the actor had a simple piece of advice for his younger self: “Learn to pay attention.” He admitted he had ignored his body for years, even as it was “speaking very disrespectfully” to him.
Photo Credit: Good Morning America
