But that tumultuous start no doubt taught Pennington some important life skills.
“Sometimes when a foundation is crumbling, you oughta be able to move that home to another location.
It isn’t easy, but it’s often worth the trouble,” he wrote in his book.
That’s hardly the only stumbling block Pennington has experienced, though.
From serious health issues to struggling through school, this quirky extrovert has faced some very difficult times.
“I look at my father behind the wheel of the parked car and wonder if he’s joking.
I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding?
I mow lawns,'” the HGTV shared.
“But I just nod and tell him sure and give him the $5.
Thankfully, Pennington grew up with a more stable role model in his life.
He seemingly had a better relationship with his stepfather, andPennington even changed his nameto reflect that.
“Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver.
“I’m great.
You know what’s great is if you almost die, you get so much attention.
It feels so nice to be that loved,” he teased.
“I’m planning another one… No, I’m kidding!
“I lost all the skin on my back and my shoulders and my head,” he recalled.
Pennington elaborated on the incident toPeoplein February 2023.
Crew photo and a new shot of him recreating the pose.
And, just like that,Pennington’s modeling career was over.
Pennington previously shared his strong stance against bullying onX, formerly known as Twitter, in January 2019.
“Bullying is never ok. from near or far, or from behind a screen.
support & lift each other up.
always,” he wrote.
“If you’re able to’t say anything nice, then just smile.
And we have to agree.
So I was what you call ‘a classic distraction,'” he shared.
And because he spent so little time in class, he wasn’t learning.
“It just didn’t sink in,” he shared.
“School was probably one of the most difficult things.”
Things were so bad that he attended seven different schools.
