Mehcad Brooks, one of James Van Der Beek's closest friends, has stepped forward to defend his late friend and his family against growing backlash over their GoFundMe campaign. Only days earlier, fans had been celebrating the actor's legacy and resharing the Dawson's Creek star's fantastic advice about coping with grief.
What Sparked the James Van Der Beek GoFundMe Backlash?
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Since GoFundMe became widely used, there have been examples of celebrities being heavily criticized for creating campaigns because people assume they should have more money than their fans. For example, Megan Fox got flak for trying to get money for her father's medical bills, and Kylie Jenner asking for help to finance her makeup artist's recovery from injury didn't go over well. Similarly, Zach Braffbecame embroiled in controversy when he used Kickstarter to ask fans to fund his movie project. The GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek's family drew some similar critques early on.
The controversy greatly intensified when reports that Van Der Beek bought a multi-million dollar ranch weeks before he died surfaced. While it was later clarified that he bought the home for his family and got help making the down payment from his friends, that didn't stop the backlash from growing.
For example, one X user questioned whether the GoFundMe campaign was an "unscrupulous cash grab" and that is one of many social media posts expressing anger at the fundraiser.
Mehcad Brooks Speaks Out To Defend James Van Der Beek
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Since James Van Der Beek died, several celebrities with previously under-the-radar connections to him have shared tributes online. One example of that came when Mehcad Brooks shared a video on Threads on February 12, 2026, in which he described spending time with his friend James Van Der Beek just before his death.
"One of the greatest honors of my life was that I got to be there the last four or five days, every day, and hold his hand and pray with him and tell him jokes and tell him how much I love him and sing to him and join in on the energy work. And just watch this man handle death like a king. And he handled the transition like a king."
Three days later, the Law & Order, True Blood, and Supergirl star, Brooks, returned to Threads. Only that time, he was there to defend his friend against the growing criticism.
"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. You have no idea the pain they went through. It’s ok to stfu when you can’t know what the f**k 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 a lack of empathy. But maybe you’re not okay."
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