Martin Freeman attended the British Vogue and Netflix pre-BAFTA Television Awards with his girlfriend Rachel Mariam at the Dovetale at 1 Hotel Mayfair in London on Thursday. The 54-year-old Sherlock star looked sharp in a brown suede suit featuring a quirky belted blazer worn over a dark T-shirt. French actress Rachel, 31, turned heads in a striped wrap dress paired with strappy heels and gold statement earrings. The couple, together since 2020, displayed their affection on the star-studded red carpet.
Legal Victory for Amanda Abbington's Fiancé
There is positive news for Freeman's ex-partner Amanda Abbington and her fiancé, former stuntman Jonathan Goodwin. Goodwin has settled his legal action against the producers of America's Got Talent. Freeman and Abbington, 52, were in a relationship for 16 years before splitting in 2016. They share two sons: Joe, 19, and Grace, 16.
Goodwin was left paralysed and nearly died after a horrific accident in 2021. During rehearsals for America's Got Talent: Extreme, he was crushed between two burning cars. He filed a lawsuit against Fremantle and NBCU in 2023, which has now been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought to court again. Lawyers for all parties agreed on terms last month. Although details remain confidential, sources indicate Goodwin will receive many millions in compensation for the career-ending and life-threatening accident. The settlement will also cover his ongoing medical and social care needs.
Abbington previously described the accident: 'He fell 30ft and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs. He suffered third-degree burns, broke his spine, severed his spinal cord, and nearly died. Then on the operating table, he nearly died again.' She and Goodwin got engaged on their first date in 2021, just three months before the accident.
Goodwin's legal action in 2023 coincided with Abbington's difficult time on Strictly Come Dancing, where she alleged bullying by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice. Pernice has denied any wrongdoing, and while some of her complaints were not upheld by the BBC, others were.
In an interview last year, Abbington said she and Goodwin had hoped to marry in 2025 but postponed it until the litigation concluded. Nicole Anderson, Goodwin's lawyer, stated: 'The terms of any resolution are confidential, and neither we nor our client can provide further comment.' Lawyers for NBCU and Fremantle did not respond to requests for comment.
Goodwin, 46, was a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2019. For the stunt on the American show two years later, he was strapped into a straitjacket and suspended 70 feet above the ground upside down, with two cars swinging on either side. Footage shows him trying to ascend the rope before the cars collided, but it snapped, leaving him trapped between the vehicles. He fell, missing a safety mattress, and suffered multiple fractures and burns. Goodwin filed his lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2023. His lawyer, Stuart Fraenkel, said: 'This is another example of the entertainment industry prioritising profits and ratings over safety. Jonathan will be in a wheelchair for life due to inadequate safety practices.' Goodwin has since retrained as a hypnotherapist.
Reflecting on the past year, Abbington said: 'It has been a strange decade. We are definitely on a rollercoaster. I was close to a breakdown due to the constant abuse over Strictly. Jonathan was amazing, as were my friends and children, though I tried to shield them.'
