Actress Daisy Ridley, best known for playing Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has revealed an embarrassing new injury that happened not on a movie set, but while cleaning her own home. The actress said that after scrubbing her oven with perhaps too much enthusiasm, she pulled a muscle in her back and could not turn her head to the left.
On Saturday morning, August 22, Ridley took to her Instagram Story to share the news with fans. In the post, she wrote directly and with a touch of humor: "Scrubbed the oven so hard I pulled something in my back and can&8217;t turn my head to the left?!" The accompanying photo showed the actress sitting close to the camera, wearing a black tank top, resting her head in one hand and looking away, giving the impression that she was indeed dealing with stiffness and discomfort.
Ridley has built a career on physically demanding roles, including extensive stunt training for the Star Wars films and serious swimming preparation for her role in Young Woman and the Sea. The irony of being brought low by an ordinary household chore was not lost on her followers, many of whom sent messages of support and wished her a speedy recovery. Some even joked that scrubbing an oven is the real villain she never expected to face.
An Injury at Home After Years of On-Set Action
Ridley rose to global fame in 2015 when she was introduced as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She reprised the role in The Last Jedi in 2017 and completed the sequel trilogy with The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Those films required countless hours of fight choreography, lightsaber training, wire work, and intense physical conditioning. After that level of exertion, one might expect any injury to occur during a complex action sequence. Instead, Ridley&8217;s recent setback came from something far more mundane.
Her injury also comes as she has been balancing multiple projects. She starred in the biographical sports drama Young Woman and the Sea, playing Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel. For that role, she went through intense swimming training, mastering open-water techniques and spending long hours in the water to accurately portray the athlete. She has also continued to work in independent film and other genres, demonstrating range beyond the blockbuster universe that made her famous.
The fact that she was home and able to do her own cleaning suggests a rare moment of normal life between productions. But as many fans noted, even a simple task like scrubbing an oven can lead to injury if the body is fatigued or the movement is awkward enough.
Ridley&8217;s History With Injuries and Training
Although this is one of the first times Ridley has publicly complained about an injury from routine housework, she has spoken in detail about the toll that performing takes on her body. During her time in the Star Wars franchise, she described the physical difficulty of filming action sequences, including the challenge of moving in heavy costumes and performing complex acrobatics. In several interviews, she mentioned that carrying props, being harnessed for wire work, and rehearsing choreography for months would leave her exhausted and sore.
She also underwent intensive training for Young Woman and the Sea, working with professional swim coaches to build endurance and adopt the correct stroke technique of the 1920s. That training was so rigorous that she developed a deep respect for Ederle&8217;s achievement. The physical preparation for that role was so extensive that Ridley was comfortable in the water in ways she had never been before, but it also illustrates how much of her work relies on pushing her body to its limits.
Given that history, fans have expressed concern that a back injury, even from a simple cause, could interfere with her schedule. The actress has not said whether she sought medical treatment, nor has she provided further updates on her condition. Based on her tone in the Instagram Story, it appears to be a moderate strain, but one that is causing significant discomfort in the neck and upper back area. Neck stiffness and back pain can take time to resolve, especially if a muscle has been overworked or strained through repetitive motion.
When Will Rey Return to the Big Screen?
Ridley&8217;s injury news arrives at a time of great uncertainty and anticipation regarding the future of her most famous character. Following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have repeatedly signaled their interest in continuing Rey&8217;s story, but concrete details have been slow to emerge. At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration, then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced that filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy would direct a movie centered on Rey building a new Jedi Order. That announcement generated significant excitement among fans who wanted to see Rey take on a mentor role and help rebuild what had been lost.
However, development of that project has been anything but smooth. Over the years, reports have surfaced of various writers being attached and then departing, with names like Damon Lindelof and Steven Knight rumored or confirmed at different points. Each change seemed to reset the project&8217;s timeline, leading to an increasingly uncertain future.
Ridley herself has remained committed to the idea of returning, saying in interviews that she believes the script needs to be right before filming begins. She told Parade that the new movie would be "worth the wait" and added that it "will arrive when it&8217;s ready." Her comments have been interpreted as a way to reassure fans who are growing impatient and worried that the film may never see the light of day.
The Rise of "Star Wars: Starlighter"
In the meantime, the Star Wars franchise is moving forward with other projects. At Disney&8217;s D23 event, the studio unveiled a new movie titled Star Wars: Starlighter, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy. The film appears to take place about five years after the fall of the First Order, meaning it would exist in the same general timeframe as Ridley&8217;s Jedi Order movie. At D23, Gosling appeared on stage and gave fans a first look at the project, generating a wave of excitement across the internet.
Surprisingly, the D23 presentation did not include any substantial update on the Rey Jedi Order film. That absence fueled further speculation that the project might be quietly set aside, though Lucasfilm executives have not confirmed or denied such a possibility. Kathleen Kennedy&8217;s own departure from Lucasfilm was marked by an exit interview with Deadline that made no mention of the Rey movie. This silence has led many to believe that the franchise may be pivoting toward Simon Kinberg&8217;s planned trilogy, which is said to be a broad, interconnected series of films that could incorporate multiple storylines and characters.
Adam Driver, Ben Solo, and "The Hunt for Ben Solo"
The question of what happens next in the Star Wars timeline is further complicated by the curious case of The Hunt for Ben Solo. In October 2025, Adam Driver, who played Ben Solo, also known as Kylo Ren, shocked fans by revealing that he and director Steven Soderbergh had developed a movie called The Hunt for Ben Solo. The film would have followed Ben Solo after his apparent death in The Rise of Skywalker. That movie&8217;s apparent resurrection of a character who died in dramatic fashion was surprising, but Star Wars has a long history of bringing characters back, including Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul.
Driver explained that Lucasfilm initially supported the project and gave it a green light, but later pulled the plug. He told the Associated Press that executives felt the story did not sufficiently explain how Ben Solo could still be alive. The actor&8217;s revelation set the fan community abuzz with debate about what could have been and why the studio changed its mind.
Ridley later commented on the topic during an interview with IGN. She said that she had heard &8220;rumblings&8221; through crew members but was genuinely surprised when Driver made the announcement himself. &8220;It was funny because, like, &8216;Oh, wow, Adam is saying it, and that&8217;s the big surprise of the year,&8217;&8221; she remarked. Her reaction suggested that the story had not been widely known even among people connected to the franchise.
Dave Filoni Shuts Down Hopes
At the 2026 Disney D23 event, current Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni seemed to close the door on the project. Speaking to reporters, Filoni said, &8220;We&8217;re not making that picture right now. That&8217;s all I can say.&8221; When asked for further details, he infamously used a Jedi hand wave and said, &8220;It&8217;s not here. You won&8217;t find it here. The force is not with us in that regard. I love the love you feel for it.&8221;
Filoni&8217;s comments were devastating to fans who had begun to hope that Driver and Soderbergh might eventually get the chance to tell their story. At the same time, his wording did not categorically rule out the possibility that the project might be revived in a different form at a later date. Star Wars history shows that ideas once considered dead have a way of being revived, but for now, The Hunt for Ben Solo appears to be firmly on the shelf.
The Future of Rey and the New Jedi Order
As it stands, Ridley&8217;s own return to the franchise remains in a state of limbo. Despite her best efforts to reassure fans, there has been no official announcement about a start date for the Rey movie. The combination of the new Ryan Gosling film, Simon Kinberg&8217;s trilogy, and Filoni&8217;s own creative direction makes the future of Star Wars crowded with possibilities. Some insiders believe that Kinberg&8217;s trilogy will serve as an umbrella that encompasses both Rey&8217;s new Jedi Order and other storylines, while others suspect each project will exist separately in their own corners of the timeline.
Ridley has also made it clear in interviews that she is open to continuing her role. In past comments she expressed gratitude that Lucasfilm has been careful not to rush the project, and she insists that the wait will ultimately be worth it. The fact that she remains involved and positive suggests that there is still an active effort to bring the story to the screen, even if it is not happening as quickly as fans might like.
The injury Ridley suffered after scrubbing her oven may be a minor inconvenience in the larger story of her career, but it serves as a reminder that she is stepping into a busy period. She has been cast in new projects, participated in promotional events, and continues to be a subject of public interest given her connection to Star Wars. If her back and neck heal quickly, and if her schedule allows, fans could see her returning to the red carpet in the near future.
For now, though, the actress appears to be taking it easy, perhaps putting less elbow grease into her cleaning routine. There is no word yet on whether she has sought physical therapy or is simply resting at home. Given her usual candor and active social media presence, she will likely provide an update once she is feeling better, possibly even with a joke about the hazards of domestic chores.
Her latest injury is also a reminder that even action stars are human, and that sometimes the most unexpected moments cause the biggest problems. Ridley has dealt with extreme temperatures on set, complex stunt choreography, and brutal swim training, yet it was a Sunday morning cleaning session that brought her to a standstill.
Fans will be watching for any news about her recovery and about the future of Rey. The Star Wars franchise is at a crossroads, with multiple films in varying stages of development. Ridley&8217;s involvement, both as an actress and as one of the defining figures of the modern Skywalker saga, means that her health and her continued enthusiasm will play a major part in what comes next. For the moment, though, the biggest question seems to be not when Rey will find new students, or when Ben Solo might return, but simply whether Daisy Ridley can comfortably turn her head to the left again.
Source: MSN News