Actor Mehcad Brooks Defends James Van Der Beek’s Family’s $2.6M GoFundMe Amid Backlash

Mehcad Brooks is coming to his late friend’s defense after James Van Der Beek’s family’s GoFundMe is receiving criticism for raising more than $2 million as of Tuesday.

Brooks, an actor known for his roles in True Blood, Law & Order and most recently, And Just Like That, responded to a Threads user who recently shared a headline that Van Der Beek purchased a $4.8 million Texas home in January before he died.

“This doesn’t sit right with me. Not at all,” the user wrote. “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 then fired back, writing, “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.”

He continued, “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 Dawson’s Creek star died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. Later that day, the actor’s friends set up a GoFundMe page for the actor’s wife, Kimberly, and their six children, asking for financial support due to Van Der Beek’s medical costs leaving them “out of funds.”

Less than 24 hours after the GoFundMe launched, the account received more than $1 million in donations. Hollywood stars who contributed include Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, donating $25,000. Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu donated $10,000, and Avatar: Fire and Ash star Zoe Saldaña donated $2,500 monthly under her married name, Zoe Saldaña-Perego.