Injured ‘AGT: Extreme’ Stuntman Released After 4 Months in Hospital

Four months after Jonathan Goodwin narrowly escaped death while competing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent: Extreme,” the stuntman announced on Instagram that he has been released from the hospital.

“Four months later… finally out of hospital,” he posted on Feb. 20 alongside a picture of himself and fiancée Amanda Abbington. “My birthday today… can’t think of a better way to spend it than with my love.”

On Oct. 15 of last year, Goodwin was rehearsing a daredevil stunt in which he was to escape from a straitjacket while hanging upside down between two cars suspended 70 feet in the air. If the stunt had gone as intended, he would have freed himself and dropped onto an air mattress waiting below. While Goodwin managed to pry himself loose from the straitjacket, he was jammed between the cars, causing an explosion. He hit his head and lost consciousness, after which he was airlifted to a hospital and rushed into surgery.

Production on the series came to a halt two days later. “In order to focus on the wellbeing of our crew,” a spokesperson told E! News on Oct. 17, “We will be temporarily pausing production on America’s Got Talent: Extreme and will resume the last few days of filming at a later date. The health and safety of our cast and crew continue to be our priority.”

Goodwin, a recurring contestant in the “America’s Got Talent” franchise, posted an update on his recovery a few days after the accident.

“A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn… and the outpouring 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. Truly incredible,” Goodwin wrote at the time. “… 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.”

“AGT: Extreme” is hosted Terry Crews and Simon Cowell, WWE star Nikki Bella, motocross rider and rally car driver Travis Pastrana serve as judges. The show, which awards the top stuntperson with a $50,000 prize, premiered on NBC on Monday, Feb. 21 and will air for four weeks.