Dawson’s Creek star Obi Ndefo has died at the age of 51, five years after losing both his legs in a horrific crash, his sister has confirmed.
The cause of the actor’s death is unknown, but his sister and co-stars confirmed his passing in heartfelt social media tributes.
‘Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he’s finally at peace,’ his sister Nkem Ndefo said Saturday on Facebook.
Ndefo, who is a graduate of Yale, appeared in Dawson’s Creek between 1998 and 2002, where he played Katie Holmes’ character’s brother-in-law Bodie Wells.
He additionally starred in Stargate SG-1 between 2000 and 2005.
Obi Ndefo has also featured in episodes of The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan and The District.
Obi Ndefo is also the founder of the Los Angeles based non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity, an organization that works to carry out arts educations programs in the community.
Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson’s mom Gale Leery on the show, dedicated an Instagram post to Ndefo.
‘These words don’t come easy,’ she said. ‘It’s hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend. You always were and always will be a bright shining light. What an example of pure unfiltered love and tenacity you set as you faced life’s challenges of recent.
‘I will cherish all of our messages of love and support to each other over the past few years. Rest in peace sweet warrior.’
Ndefo was seriously injured in an August 2019 hit-and-run crash. Surgeons were forced to amputate his legs – one was left completely shattered and the other partially severed.
He was loading a cooler in his trunk outside of an Erewhon Market on Beverly Boulevard when a drunk driver veered out of lane and struck him, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ndefo’s friends and family set up a GoFundMe account in the aftermath of the incident – and raised more than $290,000.
The page stated that the money would go towards ‘new prosthetic legs, surgery and hospital costs not covered by insurance, and making Ndefo’s home wheelchair accessible’.