What to Know
Cancer can be such a debilitating disease both on one’s body and their finances. Especially when you’re in treatment for years and you have a young family to take care of, you can certainly start to feel the weight of that financial burden. Actor James Van Der Beek recently died after battling colorectal cancer for several years. Leaving his wife of 15 years with six children, friends of the Van Der Beek family set up a GoFundMe to help with some of the outstanding bills. Only, now there’s been some backlash from fans who can’t seem to grasp how this successful actor experienced such financial strife and a friend comes to the family’s defense.
After James’ death, a GoFundMe was started to help the family, but there’s been some backlash from fans.
A GoFundMe was set up by friends of the Van Der Beek family and is currently sitting at over $2.6 million donations raised to help put toward unpaid medical bills and other costs that have caught up with the family these past few years.
Fans were happy to rally around the Dawson’s Creek star’s wife and children throughout this uncharted territory, but once news came to light about the $4.76 million ranch the actor purchased a month prior to his death, it started to ring some serious alarm bells for some folks.
One of James’ close friends directly responds to the GoFundMe backlash with some heated words.
After a user on Threads shared how “it doesn’t sit right with [them]” how the Van Der Beek family purchased a multi-million dollar home a month before his death only to collect funds from people around the world, they received a comment back from Law & Order star, Mehcad Brooks.
Mehcad fired back in the comments that he is “one of Van Der Beek’s closest friends and the headlines are fake AF” and they have “no idea [what they’re] talking about.”
View on Threads
The Mortal Kombat star further scolded this Threads user as he told them that “[they] have no idea the pain they went through. It’s [okay] to [shut up] when you can’t know what the f— you’re talking about.” This doesn’t seem like a bad point to make, but did he perhaps take things a little too far by using this kind of his language?
This fierce friend is not tolerating any unkind words towards James’ family and makes his stance known.
Mehcad even goes as far to call this individual out for perhaps “[trying] to seek attention off of other people’s suffering or the generosity in response to it.” Ouch. That does seem like kind of a low blow.
View on Threads
The loyal friend doesn’t stop there as they also called upon how “James touched them for decades” with his dramatic portrayals and how “it’s [okay] for [them] to stay quiet in the face of blind stupidity, meanness and lack of empathy.”
We’re going to say that it makes sense to ask these kinds of questions and have an opinion, but sometimes, especially when someone is going through a difficult time such as the death of a close friend, you may not be met with such nice words in return!
