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In a rare and emotionally raw interview, Denise Jackson, wife of country legend Alan Jackson, has opened up for the first time about the tragic night that changed their family forever—the night her son-in-law, Ben Selecman, died.
Ben, the husband of Alan and Denise’s eldest daughter, Mattie Jackson, was just 28 years old when he suffered a traumatic brain injury after slipping and falling while helping a woman onto a boat in Florida in 2018. Though details had previously been shared in passing, Denise has now revealed the full scope of the pain, chaos, and heartbreak their family endured during those devastating hours.
“It all happened so fast,” Denise said, her voice shaking. “One moment, we were getting a phone call saying he’d had an accident. The next, we were on a plane—praying he’d still be alive when we got there.”
She described the hospital scene as “unreal,” a blur of doctors, machines, and waiting rooms filled with prayers and tears.
“When we saw him, he didn’t look like Ben anymore,” she shared. “But we still believed, somehow, he’d wake up.”
But after days of hoping, Ben succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a heartbroken young widow, a shattered family, and a future filled with unanswered questions.
Denise revealed how the loss nearly broke Mattie, who had only been married to Ben for 11 months.
“Watching your child lose the love of their life—there’s no word for that kind of pain,” she said. “It’s a grief that never fully leaves.”
The Jackson family, known for their faith, leaned heavily on one another and their spiritual beliefs to survive the dark aftermath. Mattie later wrote a powerful memoir titled “Lemons on Friday”, recounting her grief journey, with Alan Jackson even co-writing a song for the book’s release.
“I’ve never seen Alan cry the way he did after Ben passed,” Denise admitted. “We’re a strong family, but this shook us to our core.”
Today, while the pain still lingers, Denise says they’ve found peace in honoring Ben’s memory and watching Mattie grow into a new chapter of strength and resilience.
“He may be gone, but he’ll always be a part of our story—and a part of our family.”
For fans who’ve followed Alan Jackson’s music and family over the years, this revelation offers a deeper glimpse into the private sorrow behind the public smiles. And for anyone who has endured unexpected loss, it’s a powerful reminder that grief is not the end—it’s a path we walk through, together.