Girls5eva season 2 honors John 'JD' Donohue (dedication explained)

Now that all three seasons of Girls5eva are now streaming on Netflix, new fans are discovering the comedy series and old fans are rediscovering the first two seasons before diving into the hilarious third season. However, while watching the second season, the ending of the first episode features a pre-credits tribute that might leave you with some questions.

Before going to the usual colorful credits, Girls5eva's season 2 premiere concludes with a dedication on black screen with blue text. The dedication reads: "In memory of John 'JD' Donohue 1987-2022." It's not unusual for shows to dedicate episodes to members of the cast and crew that have passed away, as it's away to celebrate their contributions to the series.

Girls5eva features tribute to John "JD" Donohue

Because John Donohue worked behind the scenes, viewers likely won't immediately recognize his name when it's onscreen. Donohue, who was 35 at the time of his death in January 2022, was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 52 in New York. For those who don't know, I.A.T.S.E. stands for International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. On the NYPG website, he's designated as a key grip.

According to an IMDb profile for John Donohue Jr., which appears to be the same John Donohue from the dedication, he worked as a grip and best boy on a number of series, including the likes of FBI, New Amsterdam, and The Gilded Age. In a Facebook post from 2020, Donohue shared excitement for New Amsterdam's three-season renewal and called it "one of the best shows I've ever had the pleasure of working on."

He didn't appear to work on Girls5eva, as he isn't listed in the end credits. However, a season 1 credit for Christopher Donohue as the key rigging grip suggests his brother worked on the series. Christopher Donohue also has credits as a key grip rigger on shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News, and 30 Rock, all of which came from Tina Fey.

Here's what friend Scott Kinsley shared on his behalf on GoFundMe:

"On January 15, 2022, John E. Donohue unexpectedly passed away at the tender age of 35. John was a beloved member of I.A.T.S.E Local 52 and was engaged to marry the love of his life Anastasia. To help ease these uncertain times we would like to raise money for the funeral and travel costs for John’s family. Any donation, no matter how big or small would be greatly appreciated."

The $30,000 donation goal was exceeded by almost $9,000 thanks to generous donations from Girls5eva executive producers Robert Carlock and David Miner, Little Stranger (Tina Fey's company), creator Meredith Scardino, and other friends, family members, and anonymous donors. As previously mentioned, Donohue's brother seemed to have been a close member of the show's team for years, and they definitely showed up to support his family.

On behalf of everyone here at Netflix Life, our thoughts are with and continue to be with JD Donohue's family and friends.