Jay Fear, a Wrexham fan who was battling terminal cancer, has died aged 45.
Ryan Reynolds, who owns Wrexham with fellow actor Rob McElhenney, has paid tribute to the late fan in an emotional social media post. The Hollywood star met Fear and his family last month, giving him a priceless prop from the popular superhero film Deadpool.
Fear was re-diagnosed with appendix cancer in January after getting the all-clear in 2022. He described Reynolds as an "idol" and was grateful for the support he showed, with the Wrexham co-owner even inviting Fear onto the set of Deadpool 3 in London.
News of Fear's passing broke late on Thursday night. Reynolds wrote: "So grateful to have spent time with Jay Fear. He didn’t have much of it left. The fact he shared that time so freely with others is something I’ll never take for granted and never forget.
"This man lived. Sending all my love, respect and condolences to Deb, Jess and Sam."
Reynolds added: "RIP Jay Fear. One of the bravest, kindest and most generous people I've ever met. Deb, Sam and Jess, thank you for sharing your dad with me. I know how inadequate words must be given your enormous loss. Sending you all our love from my family, Wrexham and beyond. I loved every second I spent with Jay."
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Reynolds got the chance to meet Fear last month, when he gave him a glove from his original Deadpool costume. The other glove was handed to goalkeeper Ben Foster. The meeting between Reynolds and Fear was organised by the charity Bucket List Wishes.
Fear recalled the meeting in an interview with the BBC. He said: "When I spoke to Ryan about Deadpool, I said, 'I really hope I'm going to be about to get to see Deadpool 3 when it comes out'.
"He went, 'Well, we're filming in six weeks, so why don't we get you guys up to London because it's being filmed at Pinewood. We'll get you up'. He said, 'Yeah, actually let's make that happen, you guys come up to Pinewood and you can watch a bit of the film and then we'll go and do some lunch'. And I was like, 'Please, yeah!'
"They always say you should never meet your idol, and this guy is definitely an exception to that fact because he made not only me welcome, but he spent time with my wife and kids as well. They got plenty of time with him, we were about 20 minutes we had with him in the end, which was ridiculous."
Reynolds admitted he was "a little choked up" after talking with Fear and praised his "unwavering joy" during such a difficult time. Dozens of Wrexham fans have also paid tribute to Fear on social media, with one supporter calling him a "hero".
Wrexham podcast Fear In Devotion responded to Reynolds tribute by writing: "An incredibly selfless shining light. RIP Jay."
