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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How cancer, untimely deaths, and personal battles have blighted the lives of the Dawson's Creek cast
Since Dawson's Creek aired its final episode in 2003, cast members of the beloved show have seen their lives blighted by health battles and personal tragedies. The teen drama has come back into focus since it was revealed stars of the show Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson have reunited to film a new romance project. Amid renewed interest in the series, we look back on how the cast's lives have unfolded over the past 20 years. James Van Der Beek Playing the lead cemented James as a teen heartthrob. By the time the show ended, he had also notched up the accolade of one of People's 50 most beautiful people. However, by the late noughties, his star power had fizzled, and he took on small screen roles and parts in off-Broadway productions as well as a Dancing With The Stars appearance. In recent years his personal life has seen him back in the headlines after he revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The actor, 47, said he had been 'privately dealing with this diagnosis and has been taking steps to resolve it with the support' of his incredible family. Following his diagnosis, Van Der Beek, who shares six children with his wife, Kimberly, has kept working whilst maintaining his family life at his Texas home, after moving away from Los Angeles in 2020. Michelle Williams Michelle, 44, played Jen Lindley, the New York City wildchild banished to Capeside to live with her grandmother. Following the show, Michelle has arguably had the most career success, earning four Oscar nods and winning two Golden Globes. One of her most acclaimed big screen roles was in the 2004 movie Brokeback Mountain, where she also met her partner Heath Ledger. The couple welcomed daughter Matilda in October 2005 before breaking up in 2007. Three months later, Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose. He was just 28. Michelle didn't comment publicly on Ledger's tragic death until 2016, instead quietly focusing on raising their daughter away from the limelight. She told Porter magazine in 2016: 'In all honesty, for pretty much everything else, I feel like I'm a believer in not fighting circumstances, accepting where you are and where you've been. In pretty much all senses but one.' She added of her sense of loss for her daughter: 'I would be able to go totally down that line of thinking were it not for Matilda not having her dad. You know, that's just something that doesn't … I mean, it just won't ever be right.' Joshua Jackson Playing Dawson's best friend and the boy who would eventually win Joey Potter's heart, Joshua was the bad boy of Capeside. After wrapping the show Josh, 47, went on to play more teen rebels in the likes of Cruel Intentions. More recently he has found renewed small screen success, playing the leads in TV series Fringe and Doctor Odyssey. But like Pacey's messy romances, his personal life has been blighted by love woes. The actor recently settled his divorce from Jodie Turner-Smith but the pair continue to be locked in a contentious legal battle over decisions about their daughter. They were married for four years before their 2023 split and share one child, daughter Juno Rose Diana Jackson, whom they welcomed together in April 2020. Meanwhile, earlier this year Joshua lost his $2million home in Topanga Canyon to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. It was at that same house where he had previously spent his early childhood before moving back to Canada at the age of eight after his parents divorced. He purchased the property over two decades ago and was living there with his four-year-old daughter. In 2021, he spoke about purchasing the property where he previously lived as a young child in a sentimental, full circle moment. Bitter split: The actor recently settled his divorce from Jodie Turner-Smith but the pair continue to be locked in a contentious legal battle He told Mr Porter in July 2021: 'My father unfortunately was not a good father or a husband and exited the scene. But that house in Topanga was where everything felt simple, so it was a very healing thing for me to do.' He also revealed that after he and his then-wife welcomed Juno, his childhood bedroom became their daughter's room. He said: 'There was a mural of a dragon on the wall in that room that I couldn't believe was still there, years later. 'The [previous] owner said, "I knew it meant a lot to somebody and that they were going to come back for it someday".' Katie Holmes Katie, 46, was the epitome of the girl next door, playing Joey Potter on the show. Joey's troubled family life made for some spicy storylines with her father in prison for drug trafficking before she was memorably robbed at gunpoint. Offscreen, Katie's high-profile marriage to Tom Cruise and subsequent divorce have overshadowed her career at times. It was in 2012, that Tom and Katie revealed they were divorcing after five years of marriage. For years the pair were deemed one of Hollywood's biggest couples, with Tom famously declaring his love for Kate while jumping on a sofa during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The couple married in 2006 in a Scientologist ceremony in Italy, just months after welcoming their daughter Suri, but things slowly crumbled, with sources claiming Katie felt intimidated by the Church and its influence. In June 2012, it was reported that Katie decided to file for divorce in New York because it could potentially give her a better chance of gaining sole custody of Suri. With sole custody of Suri, Katie would be able to remove her daughter from the Church Of Scientology, which she was alleged to dislike and distrust, despite her husband's enthusiasm for it. On July 9, 2012, Katie's lawyer confirmed her divorce from Tom had been settled, with the actress having been granted sole custody of Suri, who was six at the time. The former couple reached an agreement out of court, meaning the actor's beloved Scientology was no longer at risk of scrutiny with the religion's secrets being dissected during a trial. In 2017, she said that pivoting her career towards directing rather than acting was a deliberate move to be more present for Suri. She previously described Suri growing up as 'heartbreaking', saying: 'You have to do everything you can to give them what they need - and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me.' With Suri now enjoying life at college, Katie has a renewed focus on her work. Following her split from Tom , the star received $14million - as well as a $38,000-a-year child support agreement. Over the past 12 years, the star has received $400,000 for raising Suri alone - but is reportedly no longer entitled to child support now that their daughter is at college and a legal adult. Happy Hours is her latest endeavor and sees Katie team up with Dawson's pal Joshua to portray former lovers who cross paths years later and rekindle their romance while navigating the challenges of careers and family responsibilities. Obi Ndefo Obi Ndefo played Katie 's character's brother-in-law Bodie Wells on Dawson's Creek. The actor died in November 2024 at the age of 51, five years after losing both his legs in a horrific crash. Ndefo, who is a graduate of Yale, appeared in Dawson's Creek between 1998 and 2002. He 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'. Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson's mom Gale Leery on the show, dedicated an Instagram post to Ndefo at the time of his death. She said: 'These words don't come easy. 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.' Heidi Ferrer Dawson's Creek writer Heidi Ferrer, 50, took her own life in 2021 at her home in Los Angeles following a 13-month battle with covid. She had been bedridden and riddled with excruciating pain since she contracted the virus in April 2020. Her husband, director Nick Guthe, told CNN that it took months for doctors to diagnose her ailments and get a referral for a long-haul covid clinic, which arrived a day before she died. He said: 'She had indicated that if things got really bad she didn't know how she could continue, she didn't know how she could keep going, and I just kept saying, you know, "Just hang on, you know, just hang on, medical science is moving at the quickest rate it ever has".' Devastating: Heidi Ferrer, 50, took her life in 2021 following a 13-month battle with covid (pictured in 2006 with husband Nick Guthe) He added: 'But I think she just felt that she was only going to diminish, she was going to lose the ability to walk, end up in a wheelchair, not be able to bathe herself.' The mother-of-one suffered body aches, including severe pain in her feet and ankles, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms when she tested positive for covid in April 2020. Her symptoms worsened, and by June she was bedridden. Over the following months, Ferrer's fatigue and foot pain remained but she also became crippled with neurological tremors. Ferrer was a career scriptwriter who penned several episodes of the hit 90s shows Dawson's Creek and Wasteland, as well as several films.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katie Holmes Raves About Reuniting with Former Boyfriend Joshua Jackson on New Movie: 'A Testament to Friendship'
Katie Holmes is basking in the glow of decades-long friendship as she teams up with Joshua Jackson on her latest directorial effort. On Monday, July 21 Holmes announced her collaboration with her former Dawson's Creek costar, the upcoming film trilogy Happy Hours, by sharing a photo of herself and Jackson — who she once dated in real life as well as on their hit WB teen drama. "I am so very grateful to be working again with so many of my wonderful friends on this film HAPPY HOURS. And working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship," wrote Holmes, 46, alongside the cozy snapshot of herself and Jackson, 47. She went on, "HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can't wait for everyone to see what we make," tagging several costars in the project including Jackson, Constance Wu, Mary Louise Parker, Donald Webber Jr. and John McGinty. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Fans were beside themselves in the comments, with many over the moon about the reunion of "Pacey and Joey" (Jackson and Holmes' Dawson's Creek characters, who have an on-off relationship throughout the show and ultimately ended up together at the end.) "Joey and Pacey END GAME," wrote one, while another called out a famous line that Pacey tells Joey in a poignant season 3 moment: ' 'I remember everything' 🥺🫶🏼🥰." "Millennials victory 🥹🥹🥹," raved another fan. Even the pair's former Dawson's Creek costars joined in on the fun, with Sasha Alexander, who played Pacey's sister Gretchen, "Love this!!! Cant wait!! ❤️❤️❤️." "We are seated.👏👏👏," chimed in Busy Philipps, who played Joey's college roommate and Pacey's on-off love interest Audrey in the final two seasons. Holmes' post came not long after photos surfaced of her and Jackson on set Monday, smiling together as they walked along a New York City street. In another photo, the pair looked to be deep in conversation, with Jackson leaning against a railing as Holmes appeared to be gesticulating with her hands as she spoke. Holmes will write, direct and star in Happy Hours, marking her latest behind-the-camera effort after Alone Together (2022) and Rare Objects (2023). Per Deadline, the project is "a story about two people (Jackson and Holmes) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life's inevitable obstacles." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! "It's a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope," the outlet added. Holmes and Jackson dated for a year early during the filming of Dawson's Creek between 1998 and 1999, but continued working together until the show ended in 2003. Read the original article on People
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
I Want What They Have, Colleagues-to-Lovers-to-Colleagues Edition: Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson
Love is a many-splendored thing, especially when you're gawking at it from the outside. In this new column, we'll be examining the celebrity couples—or, occasionally, friend pairs—who give us hope for our own romantic futures as we try to learn what we can from their well-documented bonds. I've only wanted the best for Katie Holmes since my inaugural viewing of the iconic 2004 rom-com First Daughter (is it effectively the same movie as Chasing Liberty, which was released that same year, presumably because studio execs don't communicate with each other? Absolutely, but how lucky were we to have a spare?), so it follows that I'm extremely dialed in to her various projects—the latest of which is a new film trilogy called Happy Hours. Also featured in it? None other than her former Dawson's Creek costar and real-life ex, Joshua Jackson. Obviously, Holmes is a fashion icon and screen legend and alumna of the Tom Cruise Sham Hollywood Marriage Program, class of 2012, so there is a lot to say and appreciate about her at any given moment. But…am I extremely washed for caring so much about her reunion with Jackson? The plot of Happy Hours allegedly revolves around 'two people navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life's inevitable obstacles' (likely thing for them to do!), and I, for one, can't wait to see Holmes and Jackson as those selfsame two people. 'Working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship,' Holmes wrote on Instagram after news of the project broke. 'We can't wait for everyone to see what we make.' Holmes and Jackson c. 2000. Holmes and Jackson's relationship was decades ago, at this point; it also took place in the late 1990s (a decade teeming with romantic regret) while they were filming Dawson's Creek, and yes, Holmes did say that she and Jackson became 'best friends' after breaking up in 1998. But I can't help it; when I look at these two laughing it up on a park bench, I want them to be in love! Is that so wrong? As far as we (okay, I; I don't know who the royal 'we' was meant to refer to) know, Holmes and Jackson are possibly both single right now; Jackson split from his wife and co-parent Jodie Turner-Smith in 2023 and Holmes ended her relationship with Grammy-nominated musician Bobby Wooten III the year before. Still, just because two adults are both single and look good as hell on a bench doesn't mean they're necessarily destined to find romantic love. In fact, I kind of love the fact that Holmes and Turner are back in each other's lives as colleagues. I mean, who knows you better than your ex-onscreen-boyfriend, who just happens to also be your ex-boyfriend, who also just so happens to be your bestie? Counting down the moments until Happy Hours is my new Before Sunrise!
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
As Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson reunite, here's why it might just heal millennials
Hark, do you hear it? It's faint. Barely a whisper over the non-stop global catastrophes, two decades of unprecedented times, multiple economic downturns, robots, the realization we should already be saving for retirement, random joint pain and looming perimenopause. It is the sound of elder millennials healing. Late Monday, actor Katie Holmes announced on Instagram that she and fellow Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson would be reuniting to film a three-part movie called Happy Hours. Not only will this be the first time they've worked together in more than 20 years — and not only is Holmes writing and directing — but the pair will be playing on-screen love interests. "Working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship," Holmes wrote on Instagram. Cue an entire generation feeling their feelings, especially as photos have started to emerge of the duo filming in New York City — laughing together, Holmes with that same old Joey face scrunch, Jackson with that confident Pacey smirk. "Friends I regret to inform you that I am unable to be normal about this," one fan wrote on Instagram's threads Tuesday. "You know you triggered an entire generation with this post," someone else said in response to Holmes' Instagram post. "Elder Millennial minds are exploding right now," commented another. Why are millennials buzzing over this? To understand why this reunion means so much to people of, er, a certain age, we need to take you back to a simpler time. Arguably a better time, when we gathered around the television on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to watch a bunch of hot, unusually self-aware teenagers come of age and find love in a cosy seaside town. From 1998 to 2003, teen television drama Dawson's Creek had an absolute chokehold on millennials, their collective hearts captured by a series-spanning love triangle involving girl-next-door Joey (played by Holmes) and troubled Pacey (played by Jackson). You were either Team Pacey (and correct) or Team Dawson, the eternal optimist played by James Van Der Beek. In the end, after much heartache and angst, Joey and Pacey wind up together — and in the final tear-jerking montage, quite literally, and somehow not cheesily, sail off into the sunset. The love triangle became the central momentum of the show, and many viewers followed that journey at the same time that they were coming of age from teens to young adults themselves, said Zorianna Zurba, a pop culture expert and professor at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. "To see that charisma and that bond 20 years later, in part I think it conjures up all that hope that we had for them, and plus maybe that hope we had for ourselves as we were all struggling with our early relationships," Zurba told CBC News. "I think that potentiality, and that sort of hope for the future, is maybe what is the healing part of it for millennials. It's that finally we're being given something to hope for. Something that is uplifting, that is a possibility." Other experts have suggested "narrative psychology" is why we're so invested in this journey. According to the American Psychological Association, this is the idea that people's experiences and memories are shaped by stories. "Once the narrative ends, part of us wants that story to continue.... This satisfies our brain's desire for narrative closure and continuity," psychotherapist Dana Moinian told Harper's Bazaar in a story published Wednesday. About Happy Hours and representation The synopsis for Happy Hours, posted to IMDB, could be considered music to Team Pacey's ears. "Former sweethearts cross paths years later and rekindle their connection, balancing careers, family duties and personal dreams while rediscovering what they once had — and what they could become." The feature film trilogy is a "character-driven dramedy," according to Deadline. Production for the first film is kicking off this summer in New York City. While there's certainly a nostalgia element at play, millennials — who are generally approaching middle age and no longer the main focus of pop culture — are craving representation, Zurba said. A few recent hits, like Netflix's Nobody Wants This, have also leaned into this market with romance stories for people in their 30s and 40s. But the current excitement is likely only partially about the project itself. As many fans have pointed out, Holmes and Jackson — who briefly dated in real life during production of Dawson's Creek — are both currently single. Canadian-born Jackson and actor Jodie Turner-Smith divorced in 2023. Holmes and actor Tom Cruise divorced in 2012. "I think the potential for two divorcees with children to come back together after 20 years apart gives us that kind of reflection of where we're at, culturally, and also a nice twist on an old classic," Zurba said. "It's that potential for a happily ever after."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The curse of Dawson's Creek: As Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson reunite on screen, how cancer, untimely deaths and personal battles have blighted the lives of the cast in the past 20 years
Peak Sunday morning viewing for angst-ridden adolescents of the noughties, Dawson's Creek changed the face of teen TV. The opening scene of Katie Holmes' Joey Potter informing her childhood best friend Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) that they can't continue their childhood sleepovers because of their 'emerging hormones' and 'sexual theoretics' set the tone. Dawson, Joey, Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jen (Michelle Williams) filled six seasons with Kevin Williamson's long-winded dialogue, mature themes and a lot of tears - the Dawson crying meme has a lifelong spot in the pop culture hall of fame. Over 128 episodes, which debuted in 1998, fans watched the foursome's Capeside escapades with the Dawson, Joey and Pacey love triangle becoming the core theme and fans divided into Team Dawson or Team Pacey. The flash forward finale which aired in 2003 finally resolved the romance web as well as shocking fans with the death of Michelle Williams' character Jen. Off screen the lives of the cast have seen just as much drama. Whilst the show shot many of them to international stardom, their personal lives have been blighted by health battles, high profile divorces and tragedy. As Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson reunite to film a new romance project together, we look back on how the cast's lives have unfolded over the past 20 years. James Van Der Beek Playing the lead cemented James as a teen heartthrob, helped by his juggling of blockbuster roles in the likes of Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction during his years playing Dawson. By the time the show ended James had also notched up the accolade of one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people. By the late noughties though his star power had fizzled, and he took on small screen roles and parts in off-Broadway productions as well as a Dancing With The Stars appearance. In recent years his personal life has seen him back in the headlines after he revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. In recent years his personal life has seen him back in the headlines after he revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer The actor, 47, said he had been 'privately dealing with this diagnosis and has been taking steps to resolve it with the support' of his incredible family. Following his diagnosis, Van Der Beek, who shares six children with his wife, Kimberly, has kept working whilst maintaining his family life at his Texas home, after moving away from Los Angeles in 2020. Michelle Williams Michelle, 44, played Jen Lindley, the NYC wildchild banished to Capeside to live with her grandmother. Post-Dawson's Michelle has arguably had the most career success, earning four Oscar nods and winning two Golden Globes. One of her most acclaimed big screen roles was in the 2004 movie Brokeback Mountain, where she also met her partner Heath Ledger. The couple welcomed daughter Matilda in October 2005 before breaking up in 2007. Three months later, Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose. He was just 28. Michelle didn't comment publicly on Ledger's tragic death until 2016, instead quietly focusing on raising their daughter away from the limelight. 'In all honesty, for pretty much everything else, I feel like I'm a believer in not fighting circumstances, accepting where you are and where you've been. In pretty much all senses but one,' she told Porter magazine in 2016. She added of her sense of loss for her daughter: 'I would be able to go totally down that line of thinking were it not for Matilda not having her dad. You know, that's just something that doesn't … I mean, it just won't ever be right.' Joshua Jackson Playing Dawson's best friend and the boy who would eventually win Joey Potter's heart, Joshua was the bad boy of Capeside. After wrapping the show Josh, 47, went on to play more teen rebels in the likes of Cruel Intentions. More recently he has found renewed small screen success, playing the leads in TV series Fringe and Doctor Odyssey. But like Pacey's messy romances, his personal life has been blighted by love woes. The actor recently settled his divorce from Jodie Turner-Smith but the pair continue to be locked in a contentious legal battle over decisions about their daughter. The actors were previously married for four years before their 2023 split and share one child, daughter Juno Rose Diana Jackson, whom they welcomed together in April 2020. Meanwhile, earlier this year Joshua lost his $2M home in Topanga Canyon to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. It was at that same house where the Doctor Odyssey star had previously spent his early childhood before moving back to Canada at the age of eight after his parents divorced. He purchased the property over two decades ago and was living there with his four-year-old daughter. Back in 2021, he spoke about purchasing the property where he previously lived as a young child in a sentimental, full circle moment. 'My father unfortunately was not a good father or a husband and exited the scene,' he told Mr Porter in July 2021. 'But that house in Topanga was where everything felt simple, so it was a very healing thing for me to do.' He also revealed that after he and his then-wife welcomed Juno, his childhood bedroom became their daughter's room. 'There was a mural of a dragon on the wall in that room that I couldn't believe was still there, years later,' he said. 'The [previous] owner said, "I knew it meant a lot to somebody and that they were going to come back for it someday,' he added. Katie Holmes Katie, 46, was the epitome of girl next door, playing Joey Potter on the show. Joey's troubled family life made for some spicy storylines with her father in prison for drug trafficking before she was memorably robbed at gunpoint. Offscreen, Katie's high profile marriage to Tom Cruise and subsequent divorce have overshadowed her career post-Dawson's. It was in 2012, that Tom and Katie revealed they were divorcing after five years of marriage - marking one of the most high profile splits showbiz has ever seen. For years the pair were deemed one of Hollywood's biggest couples, with Tom infamously declaring his love for Kate while jumping on a sofa during an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show. The couple, married in 2006 in a Scientologist ceremony in Italy, just months after welcoming their daughter Suri, but things slowly crumbled, with sources claiming Katie felt intimidated by the Church and its influence. In June 2012, it was reported that Katie decided to file for divorce in New York because it could potentially give her a better chance of gaining sole custody of Suri. With sole custody of Suri, Holmes would be able to remove her daughter from the Church of Scientology, which she was alleged to dislike and distrust, despite her husband's enthusiasm for it. On July 9 2012, Katie's lawyer confirmed her divorce with Tom had been settled, with Katie having been granted sole custody of Suri, who was six at the time. The former couple reached an agreement out of court, meaning the actor's beloved Scientology was no longer at risk of scrutiny with the religion's secrets being dissected during a trial. In 2017, she said that pivoting her career towards directing rather than acting was a deliberate move to be more present for Suri. She previously described Suri growing up as 'heartbreaking', saying: 'You have to do everything you can to give them what they need—and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me.' With Suri now enjoying life at college, Katie has a renewed focus on her work. Following her split from Tom , the star received £10m - as well as a $38,000-a-year child support agreement. Over the past 12 years, the star has received $400,000 for raising Suri alone - but is reportedly no longer entitled to child support now that their daughter is at college and a legal adult. Happy Hours is her latest endeavour and sees Katie team up with Dawson's pal Joshua to portray former lovers who cross paths years later and rekindle their romance while navigating the challenges of careers and family responsibilities. Katie wrote and stars in the trio of flicks, which will also mark her fourth, fifth, and sixth directorial features. Obi Ndefo Obi Ndefo played Katie Holmes ' character's brother-in-law Bodie Wells on Dawson's Creek. The actor died in November 2024 at the age of 51, five years after losing both his legs in a horrific crash. Ndefo, who is a graduate of Yale, appeared in Dawson's Creek between 1998 and 2002. He 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'. Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson's mom Gale Leery on the show, dedicated an Instagram post to Ndefo at the time of his death. '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.' Heidi Ferrer Dawson's Creek writer Heidi Ferrer, 50, took her own life in 2021 at her home in Los Angeles following a 13 month battle with COVID-19. She had been bedridden and riddled with excruciating pain since she contracted the virus in April 2020. Her husband, director Nick Guthe, told CNN that it took months for doctors to diagnose her ailments and get a referral for a long-haul Covid clinic, which arrived a day before she died. 'She had indicated that if things got really bad she didn't know how she could continue, she didn't know how she could keep going, and I just kept saying, you know, "Just hang on, you know, just hang on, medical science is moving at the quickest rate it ever has,"' Guthe said. 'But I think she just felt that she was only going to diminish, she was going to lose the ability to walk, end up in a wheelchair, not be able to bathe herself.' The mother-of-one suffered body aches, including severe pains in her feet and ankles, fatigue and flu-like symptoms when she tested positive for COVID in April 2020. Her symptoms worsened, and by June she was bedridden. Over the following months, Ferrer's fatigue and foot pain remained but she also became crippled with neurological tremors.
