Stuntwoman Zoe Bell's emotional reunion with family: 'Three years is too long'

Zoe Bell has shared the emotional moment she reunited with her dad. Photo / Getty Images

Like countless other Kiwis working overseas, stuntwoman Zoe Bell has been apart from her family for years amid Covid-19 lockdowns.

But Bell, 43, has finally made it home, surprising her dad Andrew Bell for Father's Day.

In a video shared on Instagram, Bell filmed her dad's reaction as she snuck up on him while he was sitting in his car.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zoë Bell (@therealzoebell)

In shock at first, he eventually said through tears, "What the f*** are you doing here?" - exactly the response Bell expected - and the pair reunited in an emotional hug.

"Three years is too long," she wrote in the caption. "Never again."

The tearful reunion comes after a difficult few years for the star.

In 2018, her boyfriend at the time, Jacob Horn, suffered a severe brain injury when he was hit by a car while on an electric one-wheel.

After a long rehabilitation process, the relationship ended. Then Bell's mum Tish found out she had angiosarcoma, a cancer in the lining of her blood vessels and lymph vessels.

While the family thought they had more time, it was only a month before she died, in December 2018.

Bell suffered another type of grief during her mum's illness. When she first got sick, she decided to try for an IVF baby in the hopes her child would get to meet her mum, but the following year, she miscarried.

Then came 2020 and Covid-19 lockdowns, and for the next few years, Bell would face a tough separation from her father and brother Jake.

While it appears Bell has returned home to Waiheke Island, it's not clear when she arrived or how long she will be in New Zealand for.

Bell became a household name for her work as a stunt double for Lucy Lawless, Uma Thurman, and Sharon Stone, to name a few, and recently worked on Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder.

Where to get help and support

If you think you may be having a miscarriage, contact your lead maternity carer - this may be a midwife or your GP. Alternatively, call Healthline free on 0800 611 116, or visit your local urgent medical centre or hospital.

Visit the Miscarriage Support website or join the Facebook group.

Visit the Sands website. Sands supports parents and families who have experienced the death of a baby.

Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.