“On Monday, we tragically lost one of our own: Joi ‘SJ’ Harris,” writes Zazie Beetz, who took to Instagram late last night to pay tribute to her late Deadpool 2Â stuntwoman.
In what should have been a routine week for Fox and David Leitch’s action sequel, Harris was killed when a motorcycle stunt went awry. Led by Ryan Reynolds, tributes poured out from the four corners of the film industry, and those closest to Joi “SJ” Harris have been left mourning the death of the 40-year-old professional rider.
As additional details began to emerge, some of Hollywood’s leading stunt coordinators called Deadpool 2‘s set-up into question on the belief that Harris, a seasoned New York biker and film rookie, shouldn’t have been left in control of a 900cc motorcycle in the first place. 20th Century Fox is yet to go divulge the finer details of Monday’s fatal accident, but those allegations go on to assert that Joi Harris was drafted in because of her resemblance to Zazie Beetz (Domino), thereby overlooking her apparent lack of experience on movie sets.
If true, it’s a sad twist to an already tragic saga, and in a bid to address the situation, Beetz’s statement reads as so:
On Monday, we tragically lost one of our own: Joi SJ Harris. My heart has been breaking the past two days and I have been searching for what to say or do. I know that what I feel is nothing compared to what her loved ones, friends + family, are feeling. My heart and my love goes out to her and them all. The cast and crew send peace, healing, and their deepest condolences.
Zazie Beetz joins a long list of Hollywood A-listers to remember Harris, and we fully expect the final cut of Deadpool 2 to include some form of tribute to the late rider next summer.
As for those aforementioned allegations, veteran stunt coordinator Conrad Palmisano told THR the following yesterday:
She was a highly qualified motorcyclist racer but not an experienced stunt person. It is my understanding that she is reported to be a pro racer. But she rode 300cc cycles. The one she crashed on was 900cc motorcycle — much bigger, more powerful.
It’s been a trying week for the cast and crew, but Deadpool 2 has already resumed production in anticipation of its release on June 1st, 2018.
