What happened to John Refoua?

Avatar film editor, John Refoua has been reported dead by his wife Selena Bell. According to her, he died 15 months after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer. His death occurred on May 14, 2023, at age 58 years old.

“Dear friends, my brilliant, sweet, creative husband John Djahanshah Refoua passed away last night, May 14 surrounded by family and friends who loved him. He was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, 15 months ago. Despite the pain and complexities of this aggressive disease, he faced it with courage and grit. He continued to work and edit on James Cameron’s Avatar 3 right up to his final weeks,” she wrote in the post.

Refoua started his career in film editing on television in the ’90s. He worked on numerous shows including Law & Order, All McBeal, Touched by an Angel, and more. He edited 16 episodes of Dark Angel created by Cameron, as well as other episodes on the shows Reno 911! and CSI: Miami from 2000 to 2002.