Mehcad Brooks, who is known for his roles in True Blood and Law & Order, spoke out in support of the GoFundMe campaign for his late friend James Van Der Beek’s family after people online were upset about it. He was very direct when he answered a critic on Threads who called the fundraiser “weird” after news broke that Van Der Beek had bought a Texas home for $4.7–4.8 million in January. He said that the headlines were “completely false.” Brooks said, “You have no idea the pain they went through,” and told people who were against him to not try to get attention from other people’s pain.
As of February 17, 2026, the campaign for Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and their six children has raised more than $2.6 million, which is 77% more than its $1.5 million goal. It pays for Van Der Beek’s medical bills from his battle with colorectal cancer, which left the family “out of funds” after he died at age 48. Friends pointed out that community support was a reminder that “love is real” during their uncertain future.
People criticized the family’s recent $4.8 million home purchase, but Brooks said that people who don’t know them don’t understand their private problems. The goal of the fundraiser is to help the family stay in their home and keep their kids in school. More than 50,100 people have given money, showing that people care even though there is a lot of disagreement.
