DODGING DEATH
‘America’s Got Talent: Extreme’ accident survivor: ‘I was protected by love’
INJURED stuntman Jonathan Goodwin — who got crushed between two cars when a stunt went brutally awry on “America’s Got Talent: Extreme” — has spoken out about his near-fatal accident. “To death I say nananana boo boo,” he wrote Wednesday in a lengthy Instagram post about his harrowing ordeal.
Daredevil escape artist Goodwin, 41, suffered the accident on the “America’s Got Talent” spinoff show during a rehearsal last Thursday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia.
As part of the stunt, Goodwin was supposed to free himself from a straitjacket while dangling by his feet between the swinging cars, suspended 70 feet in the air. After dodging the vehicles, he was supposed to drop harmlessly onto an air mattress below.
However, in a horrific accident, he was pinned between the vehicles — which erupted into a fireball upon impact — before he fell 40 feet to the ground and hit his head.
The show has halted production in the wake of Goodwin’s shocking injury.
On his Instagram account, Goodwin — who is Welsh and has previously been a finalist on “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2019 — posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed, with a long caption thanking the world for all the messages of support.
“A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn . . . and the out pouring of love from all the corners of the world; from people I didn’t even think would know or remember me . . . has just been astonishing,” he wrote.
“It literally has been a lifesaver . . . I have been to the very brink and dodged the worst that a human being can, without fear . . . because I was protected by love. Love is all you need, so make sure you get some, cos its good sh – t. To death I say nananana boo boo ...andtotherestofyou... watch this space. There is a long road to recovery and that won’t look like what it did . . . I may leave the daft sh – t alone for a while, but I have a lot left to do in this world.”
“America’s Got Talent: Extreme” was set for a midseason premiere on NBC, featuring death-defying stunts judged by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star Nikki Bella, X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana and executive producer Simon Cowell. The winner was set to get a $500,000 prize.
Its sister NBC show, “America’s Got Talent,” has aired 16 seasons.
Former contestant Danny Wolverton, 36, who appeared on Season 8, told The Post, “You will push yourself beyond what you would normally feel is safe because you’re in the mindset of this is my big shot.”
NBC did not immediately respond when The Post reached out for comment.