Amanda Abbington’s escape artist fiancé is suing America’s Got Talent bosses over a stunt gone wrong that left him in a wheelchair for life.
Jonathan Goodwin suffered life-changing injuries after being crushed between two burning cars during rehearsals for America’s Got Talent: Extreme at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October 2021.
During the stunt, he was supposed to free himself and fall under the vehicles before they collided.
But the cars were released too soon and he was crushed as the metal chassis came together before a huge fireball erupted.
Then Jonathan fell to the ground and hit his head. He was flown to hospital where he underwent surgery.
The stuntman suffered fractures to his ribs, legs and shoulders, third-degree burns and injuries to internal organs in the accident and also lost his left kidney.
Jonathan Goodwin suffered life-changing injuries after being crushed between two burning cars in October 2021, just months after he started dating Amanda Abbington. Pictured: The couple last year
Hospital: The stunt went terribly wrong and resulted in a four-month hospital stay
The accident occurred in mid-October 2021, when NBC “temporarily” halted production on the show
Explaining the claims in court, his lawyer Stuart Fraenkel told the BBC: “This is another example of the entertainment industry putting profits and ratings over safety.”
“The producers and staff of this show could have taken a number of simple steps to ensure Jonathan’s safety.” Instead, the production was hectic, chaotic and staffed by a team that lacked the necessary expertise and experience.
“Jonathan will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life because there were inadequate safety practices, protocols and procedures in place to protect him.”
Mr. Fraenkel also said that Jonathan brought this lawsuit because he wanted to draw attention to the “persistent lack of safety” in the entertainment industry.
His lawyer also said the stuntman hopes “lessons will be learned.”
The 43-year-old, who took part in the 15th season of “America’s Got Talent” last year, was initially unresponsive after the accident but was apparently still clinging to his life.
On Friday, The US Sun published a recording of a frantic 911 in which a woman said: “We’re at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on the set of America’s Got Talent.”
“We had a man suspended on a cable with cars that were supposed to crash into each other, and he didn’t get around in time and they crashed into him.”
Jonathan has performed other similarly death-defying stunts on the show.
In 2013, he wore a straitjacket and dangled from a flaming rope over the River Thames in London.
He was hung upside down from the London Eye and managed to escape, which was part of his television series The Incredible Mr. Goodwin.
Jonathan was suspended between two elevated wagons that were released too early
Jonathan can be seen just before the cars hit him
Jonathan is engaged to actress Amanda Abbington, who has starred in Sherlock, Mr. Selfridge and Doc Martin
Jonathan said he called Amanda and “thanked” her for their time together after the accident in case he didn’t see her again
The actor has also successfully completed other risky stunts for the flagship series AGT in the past and has also appeared on its sister series in the UK, Britain’s Got Talent.
During his Season 15 appearance, Cowell and fellow judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara ensured Jonathan stayed in the competition until the semifinals.
His most dramatic stunt for AGT involved Godwin covering himself in a flammable liquid and tying himself up while putting his head in a box so he couldn’t see.
He had to free himself from his restraints in less than 20 seconds after being set on fire.
Jonathan successfully completed the stunt, which made some of the judges nervous, even though it was the first time he had ever attempted the death-defying act.
In contrast to his fiery stunts, Jonathan went underwater for the BBC special How Not to Become Shark Bait, where he demonstrated this by letting a Caribbean reef shark attack him.
Jonathan is engaged to actress Amanda Abbington, 49, who has starred in Sherlock, Mr Selfridge and Doc Martin.
The couple first connected 11 years ago, in 2012, when they followed each other on Twitter.
While they were both in other relationships at the time, Amanda told the Guardian that they “admired each other’s work” and “occasionally liked each other’s tweets.”
As they both became single, their messages became increasingly flirtatious until they started dating in August 2021, a few months before the accident.
Jonathan said they hadn’t thought about returning to the UK until he met Amanda and he changed his mind after a seven-hour phone call with the actress.
He told the outlet, “I kind of knew I had found my person when we hung up.”
Their whirlwind romance led to them getting engaged the first time they met in person.
After being crushed amid the fiery explosion, Jonathan fell to the ground and reportedly hit his head on impact. Pictured: Jonathan at The Illusionists in 2016
Amanda Abbington during the dress rehearsal for her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing
Jonathan sat in the Strictly Come Dancing audience cheering her on
Jonathan said he wanted to give Amanda a chance after his accident, but she said a breakup “never occurred to her.”
Jonathan said he had “already planned” the big event, even though they had only been talking for months. Amanda said the proposal felt like “the most amazing and natural thing in the world.”
The actress said that she received a call from her fiancé on the day of the accident, which she found strange since he was “always texting.”
Amanda was told that Jonathan was in “really bad condition” and had been taken to intensive care.
Jonathan told the Guardian: “I called Amanda to thank her for our time together in case I didn’t see her again.”
He then said that because of his life-changing injuries, he wanted to talk to Amanda and give her “a way out.”
“Breaking up never crossed my mind. “I just thanked God that he was still alive,” Amanda told the outlet.
The loved-up couple now lives in Hertfordshire.
Amanda is on Strictly Come Dancing this season, working alongside Giovanni Pernice.
She recently credited Strictly Come Dancing with helping her “feel like a woman” again after becoming “invisible” in her 40s.
She said the show made her feel sexy and gave her a huge confidence boost that she hopes will inspire other women her age to “grab life by both hands.”
‘The sky is the limit. “I hope to inspire women to do something they wouldn’t normally do,” she said.
Web has contacted NBC and Fremantle Media for comment.