Katie Holmes is reflecting on the memory of her late Dawson’s Creek co-star Obi Ndefo, who recently passed away at the age of 51. On Saturday, August 31, Obi’s sister, Nkem Ndefo, announced his death via a Facebook post.
Her post featured a heartwarming photo of the two siblings smiling as they embraced, gazing directly into the camera lens. “Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he’s finally at peace,” Nkem wrote alongside the photo.
She didn’t disclose her brother’s cause of death.
On Sunday, September 1, Holmes paid tribute to the late actor on her Instagram Stories. She included a screenshot of a reel shared by her Dawson’s Creek co-star, Mary-Margaret Humes, which was posted on Instagram the day before.
“He was wonderful to work with and such a kind man. I send prayers and grace to his family. Rest in Peace,” Holmes penned under the snapshot of Humes and Obi. She also added a heart emoji.
Humes, known for her role as Gail Leery, Dawson Leery’s mother in the teen drama, paid tribute to Obi in the caption of her Instagram post.
“These words don’t come easy 💔. It’s hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend,” Humes wrote. “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.”
Humes added: “I will cherish all of our messages of love and support to each other over the past few years. Rest in peace sweet warrior. 🙏🕊️❤️💫.”
Katie Holmes Starred Alongside Obi Ndefo on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ From 1998 to 2002
Obi portrayed Bodie Wells, Bessie Potter’s boyfriend, on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2002. His character shared a home with Joey Potter, Bessie’s younger sister.
In addition to being a yoga teacher, Obi was a graduate of Yale University’s prestigious drama school. He also appeared in notable television series such as NCIS: Los Angeles, The West Wing, and NYPD Blue.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Obi was struck by an SUV while loading groceries into his car in a supermarket parking lot, resulting in him becoming a double amputee.
He told the Los Angeles Times: “How do you know how you would handle this? And anyway, what’s the alternative? This is just so horrendous what happened to me. Why would I compound this by feeling bad about it?”
“There is no other choice for me. So there’s a sort of rigor to me. And I think, ‘Okay, my legs are severed. I don’t know how to do this. But I know how to do this.’”
He adjusted his yoga practice and expressed that the near-death experience clarified his life’s purpose, making it “crystal clear.”