Amanda Abbington has opened up about the “wild whirlwind” of events after finding out her fiancé Jonathan Goodwin was involved in a car accident.
Jonathan was paralyzed for life in a tragic accident in October 2021 after trying to escape from a tube jacket while being hung upside down 30 feet in the air.
The 48-year-old actress began dating the America’s Got Talent star, 42, after splitting from Martin Freeman.
Against all odds: Amanda Abington opens up about ‘whirlwind of madness’ after finding out her fiancé Jonathan Goodwin was in a car accident
The couple confirmed their engagement in 2021 after Goodwin proposed within minutes of meeting the actress for the first time in Vienna.
But just weeks after Jonathan proposed, he was involved in an accident in which two burning cars crushed him to death.
Now, talking about that dreadful time, Amanda says she initially “didn’t think of the stunt” and shared how she received the news.
In an interview with The Times, she said:[The stunt] Dangerous, but I knew Jonathan was a perfectionist, so I didn’t give it a second thought.
Miserable: Jonathan was paralyzed for life in a tragic accident in October 2021 after trying to escape from his straight jacket while hanging upside down 30ft in the air
“I woke up the next morning to a voicemail from his stunt coordinator: ‘Something happened to Jonathan. This is not good news. “
“Then it all became a whirlwind of madness; finding out what happened and flying his family out there.
She then explained the gravity of the accident, sharing how he fell and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, broke both legs, fractured his spine and severed his spinal cord.
Amanda continued: “We did end up talking on the phone. He called and said he was having surgery and he probably wouldn’t be able to make it.
“He told me he loved me and I honestly thought that was the last time I’d hear his voice.”
Scary: Now, speaking of the scary time, Amanda says she initially ‘didn’t think of the stunt’ and shares how she got the news
Proud: The actress gushed that she loved her ‘independent and strong’ future husband so much that she ‘forgot he was in a wheelchair’
Last year, the couple revealed they planned to marry in 2022, but Be vague about the details.
Now, Jonathan shares his life experience and his gratitude to Amanda, confirming that the pair will tie the knot in June.
He explained to The Times: “I don’t recommend Nearly Dying, but it teaches you a lot about living.
“I looked at Amanda and pinched myself. This gorgeous, wonderful, fun woman likes me and we’re getting married in June.
“I kind of wanted to get to the church by parachute or zip line, but Amanda has made it clear that it will be a traditional wedding. Had I left my previous career, I doubt it would have been one of the shortest marriages on record!
Honesty: Amanda revealed in May 2022 that her co-star was severely injured multiple times while rehearsing for America’s Got Talent: Extreme and is now confined to a wheelchair
The couple first met on Twitter in 2012, when they were both involved in other relationships – she was with actor Martin Freeman (known for his work on the sitcom The Office and the Peter Jackson blockbuster The Hobbit) , and he and his ex-wife Katie.
Mutual respect for each other’s work sparked an initial friendship, but it took another nine years — when they were both single — to fall for each other.
Goodwin was living in Las Vegas at the time, but a seven-hour phone call with Abington convinced him to move to his native Britain — even though he never met the actress face-to-face.
The couple eventually met in person while Abington was filming exteriors in the Austrian capital Vienna, with the actress admitting she had repeatedly messaged him “like a flirty schoolgirl” before their first meeting.
Shortly after their engagement, Jonathan was paralyzed by a stunt that went horribly wrong.
Amanda later explained that the timing was wrong and the car was released too early, resulting in him being pinned in the middle as the car caught fire.
Now, more than a year after his accident, Amanda has revealed her fiancé Jonathan is “going from strength to strength”.
She gushed that she loved her “independent and strong” husband-to-be so much that she “forgot he was in a wheelchair”.
While promoting her new comedy series, The Family Pile, on Tuesday’s Lorraine, Amanda revealed that she and Jonathan are still planning to get married this summer.
She gushed about her beau, adding: “He’s amazing, he makes me smile. I love him in place and he’s going from strength to strength.
THEN: The couple first struck up a friendship in 2012 when Abington had an affair with actor Martin Freeman before falling in love after their split
“I forgot he was in a wheelchair, he was independent and strong. He really was my hero and I don’t know what I would do without him. He was so supportive and gorgeous. Summer weddings are going on.
The couple had previously revealed plans to marry in 2022, but Be vague about the details.
Appearing in Lorraine in May, Jonathan said: “The wedding is going to be later in the year and it’s lovely, we were all so excited beforehand. Great people, but they’ll never hear.
Amanda revealed in May 2022 that her co-star was confined to a wheelchair after sustaining multiple serious injuries while rehearsing for America’s Got Talent: Extreme was cut. He spent four months in hospital with his injuries before being released in February.
Intimacy: Mutual respect for each other’s work sparked an initial friendship, but it took another nine years – when they were both single – to fall for each other
Last May, Jonathan shared a post on Instagram saying his dog had finally seen him again in six months and had gotten used to him having “cool new wheels”.
He wrote: “Six months ago I went to rehearse something and had this little hairy monkey wait patiently for me…he didn’t see his dad again until a few weeks ago when he finally saw him , his father got new wheels.
“A lot has changed in the last six months but the love is constant and I am loved. Looking forward to my next chapter and being a role model.
The couple made their first TV appearance together that same month, with Jonathan explaining that he had given Amanda a “get out of jail card” after his accident, but the star insisted she would stay in her new home forever. Beside my fiance.
Support: On the couple’s first joint TV appearance that same month, Jonathan explained that he gave Amanda a ‘get out of jail card’ after his accident
When he saw Amanda getting emotional, Jonathan said: “I said you have a free card, if you want to go away I understand, she told me not to be so stupid.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Jonathan proposed to Amanda weeks before the accident, and a tearful Amanda went on to say they were “closer” than ever as she gushed that Jonathan was her “inspiration.” source”.
“We are closer and closer than ever, we have this unspoken thing, we said the other day that we are the ones who will say yes to things, life is too short, grab it with both hands in the moment It’s because you don’t “know what’s around the corner,” she says.
“He’s my inspiration. He’s an idiot and I’m a douchebag so it’s okay. All my friends and family love him and he’s absolutely lovely.
Twice near death: Jonathan, now retired from Escape Science, documents his four-month stay in hospital recovering from injuries including burns and a broken leg
