The family of an American Horror Story crewmember who died on his 25th wedding anniversary after contracting Covid-19 on set are suing the producers alleging ‘safety measures were ignored on set.’
Paul Woodward, 68, was working as a truck driver on the set of the hit FX show in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the Spring of 2021 when he contracted the virus.
His family says Woodward’s truck wasn’t given a plexiglass separator as he moved people who had come to the area to work on the show from across the country.
Other issues cited by the family include a lack of social distancing and mask wearing.
They’re suing 20th Century Fox, Ryan Murphy Productions and The Walt Disney Company for damages. The family wants a jury to decide what damages, if any, are appropriate.
Paul Woodward, back right, pictured with his son Redmond, left, wife Patricia, center and daughter, Harley, at her high school graduation
A few weeks before his death, Woodward felt ill on set and took a Covid test which came back negative. After his condition did not improve, his son, Redmond, picked up and took him to a local hospital, where he tested positive.
In a heartbreaking interview with NBC Boston, his widow, Patricia Woodward said: ‘He passed away on the morning of our 25th anniversary. So that day instead of going out to dinner or having champagne, I had to go to the funeral home and look for a casket for him.’
Redmond Woodward described seeing his father on the day that he picked him up: ‘To see him the way he was like that was really kind of harrowing.’
In the same interview, he said: ‘We just want some awareness to be made of the situation so something like this doesn’t have to happen again to anybody else, because this has certainly been the worst time of our lives.’
While his daughter, Harley, 23, said that she was studying at Cornell University when her father became ill. She said: ‘I used to go to school in the area. If I had been here, I would have at least been able to see him in person that one day. So it’s been really hard for me.’
Harley is due to graduate from the Ivy League school in May 2023.
In a separate interview with CBS Boston, Patricia Woodward said that she never received any condolences from the producers.
In a heartbreaking interview with NBC Boston, his widow, Patricia Woodward said: ‘He passed away on the morning of our 25th anniversary. So that day instead of going out to dinner or having champagne, I had to go to the funeral home and look for a casket for him’
Redmond Woodward said in the same interview: ‘We just want some awareness to be made of the situation so something like this doesn’t have to happen again to anybody else’
Woodward, a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, married his wife Patricia, in April 1996
Woodward was working for a company named Entertainment Partners LP at the time of his death
Significant parts of the tenth season of American Horror Story were filmed in Provincetown, the series is subtitled Double Feature. It stars Macauley Culkin, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters.
Much of the filming took place along Commercial Street in the affluent town.
Woodward was working for a company named Entertainment Partners LP at the time of his death. He began work on February 26, 2021, according to the lawsuit. During the job, Woodward stayed at the Harbor Hotel in Provincetown ‘along with many other workers on the Defendant’s project.’
The lawsuit says that ‘[Woodward] remained within the isolated Project, continuously working extended hours, until he contracted COVID-19 and fell ill with COVID-19 symptoms.’
He fell ill on March 13, 2021, and died on April 18.
In his obituary, Woodward is described as having ‘a great love of life.’ His hobbies included snowmobiling, boating, jet-skiing, driving antique cars and his family
Significant parts of the tenth season of American Horror Story were filmed in Provincetown, the series is subtitled Double Feature. It stars Macauley Culkin, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters
In his obituary, Woodward is described as having ‘a great love of life.’ His hobbies included snowmobiling, boating, jet-skiing, driving antique cars and his family. As a side business, he raised rabbits with his small business, Woody’s Wabbits.
The tribute continues by saying: ‘[Woodward] had a great sense of humor and loved telling stories to friends and family.’
During his career working as a driver, Woodward worked on movies such as Grown Ups 2, Knives Out and the 2016 Ghostbusters remake.
The Brockton native survived by his wife, son, daughter and ‘beloved cocker spaniel Mookie.’
According to his Facebook page, Woodward described himself as a ‘workaholic’ and had been working as a Teamsters driver since 1980. He was a member of the Teamsters Local 25 Movie Division.
His Teamsters local held a memorial service from him on April 28, 2022.
The family’s lawyer, Jonathan Sweeet of Keches Law Group, said in the lawsuit: ‘The limits to the occupancy of his van were ignored, people weren’t wearing masks. These were people from all over the country, primarily California.’
He added: ‘The complaint, which was filed yesterday, seeks to hold these Hollywood production companies accountable for their decision to run an unsafe production set here in Massachusetts.’