Monday morning, stuntwoman Joi “SJ” Harris was killed on the set of Deadpool 2, having reportedly lost control of her motorcycle and crashed through the glass of the Shaw Tower’s ground floor studio. Vancouver PD confirmed the news, another casualty in a string of accidents taking place on sets, and an investigation is currently taking place.
Joi “SJ” Harris is credited as being the first female African-American road racer, with Deadpool 2 marking Harris’ first film as a stuntwoman. Harris was providing stunts for Zazie Beetz‘ Domino when the crash occurred, and according to sources, was not wearing a helmet as the character did not wear one. It’s said that Harris had been rehearsing the stunt all day Saturday, and ran the stunt at least five times before filming on the Monday.
Ryan Reynolds provided a statement of condolence on Twitter, writing that the crew is “heartbroken, shocked, and devastated” over the news.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2017
Harris’ accident follows the death of another stuntman just last month. 33-year-old John Bernecker died July 12 after plunging headfirst from a balcony on the set of The Walking Dead. Just as Harris was not wearing a helmet, it is reported that the padding provided for the 22 foot fall was not significant enough, and after Bernecker’s stunt was misjudged, was missed by a few inches.
Additionally, the news also comes after Tom Cruise broke two bones in his ankle following a failed stunt whilst filming Mission: Impossible 6. The actor, it is said, will take months to recover, but will be thankful that the accident did not reach the severity of Harris and Bernecker. The sudden spike in stunt accidents will hopefully shine light on unions, practices and safety regulations.
Production on Deadpool 2 was shut down immediately following the incident, and while it is unclear when it will continue, it will likely resume fairly soon to still meet its June 2018 release date.
#Peace.Love.JoiSJHarris
