Joi Harris death leaves Ryan Reynolds ‘heartbroken’ as he pays tribute to Deadpool 2 stunt driver

The Canadian actor said released an emotional statement on Twitter
Heartbroken: Ryan Reynolds has paid tribute
Frazer Harrison/Getty
Emma Powell15 August 2017
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Ryan Reynolds has paid tribute to a stuntwoman who died while filming Deadpool 2, saying he has been left “heartbroken”.

Joi ‘SJ’ Harris died after she lost control of the motorcycle she was driving and reportedly smashed through the wall of a glass studio in Shaw Tower, Vancouver, following four successful attempts at the stunt.

Reynolds ‘poured his heart out’ to Harris’ family and said the tragic death has left him in ‘shock’.

“Today, we tragically lost a member of our crew while filming ‘Deadpool,’” he wrote in a message shared on Twitter.

Tragedy: Joi ‘SJ’ Harris posing with her motorcycle 

“We’re heartbroken, shocked and 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.”

Director David Leitch also paid tribute, writing: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today. No words can express how I and the rest of the ‘Deadpool 2’ crew feel about this tragedy.

“Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.”

Investigation: A police officer examines a motorcycle
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP

20th Century Fox said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of ‘Deadpool 2’ this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time.”

Devastating: A police officer photographs the motorcycle
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP

Eyewitnesses told how Harris appeared to ‘lose control’ of the motorcycle before smashing into the building near Jack Poole Plaza.

One person told Global news: “People were running on the sidewalk, the motorcycle comes flying across the street, looks like from a ramp because it was in the air.

“[The rider was] standing on the bike, slams into that building, clearly hit and out of control and clearly not planned.”

Deadpool 2 began filming in June and will see Reynolds reprise his role as the fictional antihero, with Josh Brolin joining the cast.

Ryan Reynolds Hollywood Walk of Fame

1/14

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in