James Van Der Beek‘s friend and fellow actor Mehcad Brooks (“True Blood,” “Mortal Kombat”) recently used Threads (via Daily Beast) to slam the backlash over the GoFundMe that was created to raise money for Van Der Beek’s wife and children after his death. The campaign raised $2.6 million after revealing the late actor’s cancer battle had left his family “out of funds.” However, detractors emerged on social media.
“This doesn’t sit right with me. Not at all,” one user on Threads posted about the GoFundMe. “Sure, I get it. But thousands of people around the world face this exact situation every day and deal with the struggle. They don’t get $2.5 million. It’s just weird. He had to have had life insurance… and residual checks…”
Brooks saw this post and fired back in a response that reads: “I am one of the Van Der Beek’s closet friends and the headlines are fake AF you have no idea wtf you’re talking about,” Brooks wrote amid backlash. “You have no idea the pain they went through. It’s ok to stfu when you can’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. It’s ok not to try to seek attention off of other people’s suffering or the generosity in response to it. Because James touched them for decades. It’s ok for you to stay quiet in the face of blind stupidity, meanness and lack of empathy. But maybe you’re not okay.”
The GoFundMe campaign was started by friends of the late actor. They thanked fans as the campaign hit $2 million.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up for James and his beautiful family. Your kindness has meant more than we can put into words,” read a statement. “In the middle of deep grief, your support has been a light. It reminds us that love is real, that community is strong, and that James’s spirit continues to bring people together… Your respect and understanding will give them the room they need to heal.”
Backlash against the campaign appeared to accelerate after Realtor.com published a report claiming Van Der Beek purchased a ranch outside Austin, Texas, for $4.8 million in January. The actor and his family had previously been renting the ranch since moving out of California in 2020.
“James secured [a] down payment for the Texas ranch for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage,” the late actor’s rep told People over the weekend.
Brooks has used social media in the days after Van Der Beek’s death to mourn and honor his friend. In a carousel of photos of the two together, Brooks wrote that it was “one of the greatest honors of my life is to call James my brother. It cannot be understated how much impact this man had on the world, particularly those who knew him closely. He was and always will be an angel among us.”
“I was with him for the last four days,” Brooks continued. “He handled the transition from flesh and blood, earth and bone to air and spirit, energy and soul like a true King. James truly impacted me in such a unique and special way that I’d be on this phone all day trying to explain it to you all… You have no idea how wonderful of a human being he truly is.”
