Chase Stokesis paying tribute to his friend andOuter Banksstand-in Alexander “AJ” Jennings who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Tuesday morning.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in apress releasethat the deadly incident happened in North Charleston, South Carolina, where the cast and crew ofOuter Bankshavebeen filming season 3.
Chase Stokes (left) and Alexander “AJ” Jennings.Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage; Instagram
“It is with great sadness that I share on Tuesday Alexander ‘AJ’ Jennings' mother informed me of his tragic death,” read the statement. “AJ was a beautiful, kind soul & a bright light every day on set. He moved to Charleston from New York to work as our John B photo double/stand in this season.”
Chase Stokes' Instagram Story.Chase Stokes/Instagram
“I cannot fathom the shock and tragedy of AJ’s sudden loss and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” Kimmie Stewart Casting added. “I am still at a loss of words how this happened & cannot imagine the pain his family is going through. We will miss this amazing human & his infectious smile dearly.”
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The following day, Stokes — who plays John B on the hit Netflix series — also spoke out about the tragedy, remembering his friend and stand-in with a touching statement on hisInstagram Story.
“Still trying to process why certain things happen, and why the world works in the ways that it does,” he wrote on Wednesday. “My heart is shattered. Your life was just starting. We JUST talked about how pumped you were about your tunes, how far you’d come with that ole 6 string and your want to keep creating art. Always always making others hearts warm and being so damn selfless.”
Stokes, 29, continued, “I wish I had more words to say right now, but the past day has been a struggle to say the least.”
“We all love you, you touched all of our lives and made us all better people, and for that - Thank you AJ. Fly high angel❤️” he concluded.
Chase Stokes as John B on Outer Banks.JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX
Madelyn Cline,Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss,Rudy Pankow, Austin North,Charles Esten, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant star on the series alongside Stokes.
The show became an instant hit when season 1 premiered in April 2020, and it kept its momentum going throughout season 2, which hit the streaming service in July 2021.
In December, Netflix announced thatOuter Bankswould be back for a third season.Production on the new seasonbegan this past February. A premiere date has not yet been announced.
source: people.com
