Deadpool 2 is filming in Canada currently and a few recent pictures showed that the crew is shooting some dangerous stunt scenes. It is now reported that during one such stunt scenes, a stuntwoman was killed. The news was confirmed by Ryan Reynolds on his official social media handles.
The actor wrote a heartfelt message and said that he was heartbroken: "Today, we tragically lost a member of the crew while filming Deadpool. We're heartbroken, devastated... but recognise nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment. My heart pours out to them -- along with each and every person she touched in this world."
Also Read: Deadpool 2: Domino films MID AIR stunt scene with Ryan Reynolds
The Vancouver Police Department also confirmed the death. The fatal accident took place at 8:20 am in Jack Poole Plaza and the Shaw Tower in downtown Vancouver, local news agencies revealed.
How it all happened?
Eyewitnesses present on the spot told local news what exactly happened. Recounting the incident, onlookers told Global News that the female rider was on a motorcycle and due to technical malfunction, the bike crashed into the glass of the Shaw Tower's ground floor.
It is said that she hit a post before ramming into the window. She was reportedly at a speed of 60 kilometres per hour speed.
Harris was not wearing a helmet during the stunt scene because Domino's character was not wearing one in the scene.
A source told Deadline that Harris had been rehearsing the stunt all day on Saturday. A studio production source said that the makers ran "two full days of rehearsals over the weekend, and on Monday, they ran the stunt five-plus times before filming."
Who was the rider?
The Deadpool stunt crash victim is ID'd as Joi "SJ" Harris. She was the first African-American female professional road racer, Deadline reports. Deadpool 2 was Harris' first film as a stunt performer. The stunt double was hired to play the stunt double of Domino actress Zazie Beetz.
Her online bio revealed that Harris began motorcycle riding in Brooklyn. She became the first African American woman licensed to actively compete in American Motorcyclist Association races in 2013.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2017
A stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle. VPD & @WorkSafeBC investigators are at the scene.
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) August 14, 2017
Not only Reynolds, director David Leitch and 20th Century Fox expressed their grief. Deadpool 2 releases on June 1, 2018.
