Rick and Morty star Spencer Grammar sets record straight on 2020 stabbing: ‘Everybody got it wrong’

Grammar underwent surgery for injuries sustained in the public altercation

Rick & Morty actor Spencer Grammar has explained what happened the night she was stabbed through the hand in 2020.

Grammar, 39, is best known for voicing the role of Summer in the hit adult animation series. Prior to her role on Rick and Morty, she also starred in the ABC series Greek, which ran from 2007 to 2011.

In July 2020, the actor was stabbed through the hand after trying to break up a fight in New York City.

Grammar, who is the daughter of Frasier star Kelsey Grammar, suffered nerve damage and two severed tendons during the incident, which is still undergoing investigation. She had to undergo surgery.

“I had a severe hand injury,” she toldPeople Magazine.  “I haven’t really talked about it before. But everybody else that wrote about it at the time got it wrong.”

Grammar explained that she had “tried to alleviate a fight” that she witnessed while in the East Village with a friend.

Reports say that the altercation broke out between a restaurant patron and an intoxicated passerby.

Grammar said that she cannot recall the specific details of the events, calling it a “blur”.

“I honestly shouldn’t have tried to help. But there wasn’t a knife involved to begin with. It was like any normal fight, basically,” she said.

“I didn’t see the person holding the knife, so it’s difficult to say what happened, really. Other people said what they saw, so everything revolved around eyewitness testimony.”

A still from season five of ‘Rick and Morty' (Adult Swim)

Although the case is still being investigated, Grammar said she doubts the police will ever arrest whoever stabbed her.

“The crazy thing is, things like that happen so quickly. It all happened in a matter of minutes,” she said. “I know that within five minutes your whole life can change, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Grammar said that while on reflection she thinks she shouldn’t have tried to intervene, she believed it is difficult not to do anything.

“I think you’re just one of those people who runs to help or you don’t,” she said. “It’s just in you. And I probably would do that same thing again if I went back in time. Although it has affected my life pretty deeply.”

Speaking about her recovery, Grammar said that her son had to tie her shoe laces for six months.

A still from the Rick and Morty season 5 trailer (Adult Swim)

“I’m only now at peace with being able to work again and perform at the productivity level I’d like to. I had to go through crazy rehab after my surgery.”

Grammar said she does not have “feeling in most of my hand”.

“Sometimes I can’t button things, or put in an earring. So there was always this worry that I was going to need to do something on set and not be able to do it,” she said.

Grammar voices Summer Smith, sister to Morty (voiced by Justin Roiland), in the hit series Rick and Morty.

The award-winning series returned for its sixth season in October this year.