Obi Ndefo, best known for his role in “Dawson’s Creek”, has died at the age of 51, five years after a tragic accident in which he lost both his legs, his sister confirmed on Saturday. While the cause of the actor’s death remains unclear, his sister and former co-stars have confirmed his death through several heartfelt tributes shared on social media.
“Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he’s finally at peace,” his heartbroken sister Nkem Ndefo wrote in a touching post on Facebook on Saturday. A Yale graduate, Ndefo appeared in Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2002, portraying Bodie Wells, the brother-in-law of Katie Holmes’ character.
Gone too Soon
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Ndefo also had a recurring role in Stargate SG-1, where he starred from 2000 to 2005. The actor also appeared in episodes of The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, and The District.
In addition to his acting career, he founded the Los Angeles-based non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity, which focuses on providing arts education programs to the community.
Mary-Margaret Humes, who portrayed Gale Leery, Dawson’s mother on the show, honored Ndefo with a tribute on Instagram.
“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.”
Lost His Legs in Horror Crash
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In August 2019, Ndefo was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. Surgeons had to amputate his legs—one was completely shattered and the other was partially severed.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Ndefo was loading a cooler into his trunk outside an Erewhon Market on Beverly Boulevard when a drunk driver swerved out of their lane and hit him.
Following the accident, Ndefo’s friends and family created a GoFundMe page, which raised over $290,000.
The funds were intended to cover expenses for “new prosthetic legs, surgery and hospital bills not covered by insurance, and to make Ndefo’s home wheelchair accessible.”
