‘Dawson’s Creek’ alum Obi Ndefo dead at 51
“Dawson Creek” alum Obi Ndefo died five years after he lost both his legs in a hit-and-run car crash. He was 51.
On Saturday, the actor’s sister, Nkem Ndefo, confirmed his death on Facebook alongside a warm selfie with her sibling.
“Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he’s finally at peace,” she wrote.
His cause of death wasn’t immediately made public.
Obi was also mourned by his “Dawson’s Creek” co-star Mary-Margaret Humes in a grieving Instagram post that featured several videos of the actor on the set of the WB drama from 1998 to 2002.
“These words don’t come easy 💔It’s hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend,” the actress, 70, captioned the clip.
“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.”
She continued, “I will cherish all of our messages of love and support to each other over the past few years. Rest in peace sweet warrior. 🙏🕊️❤️💫.”
Obi’s death comes years after he was hit by a car while outside of Erewhon Market in Los Angeles on Aug. 17, 2019.
The crash left his right leg severed and he was forced to get his left leg amputated upon arriving at the hospital, according to the Los Angeles Times.
At the time, a GoFundMe page for Obi raised more than $287,000, which helped cover the cost of his prosthetic legs and hospital expenses not covered by his insurance.
Per the LA Times, Obi was an athletic person ahead of the horrific incident and didn’t allow his changed circumstances to stop him from being active.
About 36 days after the crash, Obi found himself back in the gym and working out his upper body.
“I couldn’t live in this world without becoming sort of like an Olympic athlete of certain things, you know — of kindness and of health — because there is no other choice for me,” he told the outlet in 2019.
“So there’s a sort of rigor to me, and I think, ‘OK my legs are severed. I don’t know how to do this, but I know how to do this.’”
The Yale University alum was also known for his appearances on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “NYPD Blue” and “Stargate SG-1.”
