Ryan Shepard, the stunt double of rapper Eminem, died at the age of 40 after getting hit by a pickup truck. Kyle, Shepard’s brother, told TMZ that he was immediately brought to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Shepard was attempting to cross Olympia Street in Kennewick, Washington when an incoming truck hit him on January 31. The driver was unharmed, and he remained at the site to speak with the police regarding the accident.
Ryan Shepard Served As Eminem’s Double In Most Of His Tours
Eminem worked with Shepard since the early 2000s, the latter serving as the rapper’s stunt double as well as photo double and stand-in. He was also known as Eminem’s superhero alter-ego, Rap Boy.
Shepard also appeared on stage with Eminem at the 2002 Anger Management Tour, including Europe and Japan tours. The stunt double also starred in D12’s Purple Hills music video to act as Eminem’s clone.
Kyle revealed to TMZ that Shepard worked as a test automation engineer at Elon Musk’s SpaceX. His brother also worked at Disney as a ride mechanical engineer.
Eminem Hired Ryan Shepard To Protect His Privacy
The rapper employed Shepard to become not only his video double but also a real-life clone. Shepard gained the nickname ‘Partial Mathers’ because he attended parties and other events in place of the rapper. Eminem revealed that he was starting to get afraid of the rapid rise of fame that might put him in danger.
Shepard had to copy everything to make himself look exactly like Eminem, even down to all of the rapper’s tattoos.
In 2017, Emerg McVay from the group Bionic Jive spoke about his tour with Eminem and shared details about the rapper’s double. He told Nashville’s hip hop station 101.1 The Beat (via Your Tango):
“His name was Ryan, and we used to call him ‘Partial Mathers’. Ryan was the dude who would go to the after-parties. Everyone was so star-struck because they’d swear it was him.”
After being Eminem’s body double, Ryan Shepard shifted to working in the engineering field. He also worked as a comic book writer. A memorial service for Shepard was conducted on February 4. He is survived by his two children.
Source: TMZ, Your Tango
RELATED: 15 Celebs Who Told A Lie And Then Got Exposed
