Venturelli/Getty ImagesHere's a cliffhanger Jesse Metcalfe could've done without.
Desperate Housewives' sexy gardner is recuperating in a hospital after surviving a 40-foot fall while partying in Monaco.
According to British reports, Metcalfe wasa ttending an after-party for the World Music Awards in Monaco Sunday night when he lost his balance and tumbled from a hotel balcony. The 29-year-old actor was knocked unconscious, and emergency responders immediately transported him to a French hospital.
A precautionary MRI scan came up negative, and Metcalfe was given the all-clear to fly to England, where he remains hospitalized for additional tests and observation.
"He is a very, very lucky man. The accident could have been fatal," a rep for Metcalfe is quoted in London's Sun newspaper.
"I have just com from the hospital and he is baring up OK. He has not broken anything but can barely walk as he hasn't got much movement in his legs."
Metcalfe is expected to be released as early as tonight or tomorrow.
Metcalfe, who plays John Rowland, the erstwhile lover of Eva Longora-Parker's Gabrielle on the hit ABC series, was attending a bash at the Riviera hotspot Jimmy'z after hosting the World Music Awards at Monte Carlo's Sporting Club earlier that evening.
"We are going to speak to the organizers of the World Music Awards as the pathway was very dangerous and we heard someone else tripped up as well," Metcalfe's rep continued. "It is an issue that needs to be addressed."
This the second near-death experience to befall a Desperate Housewives cast member in less than a month.
Gale Harold, who plays Jackson, the love interest of Teri Hatcher's character, was hospitalized in critical condition following a terrifying motorcycle crash in Los Angeles three weeks ago. But he, too, is expected to make a full recovery.