Mehcad Brooks Claps Back At Critic Over James Van Der Beek GoFundMe

Actor Mehcad Brooks is defending the GoFundMe campaign launched for James Van Der Beek's family shortly after his death. Brooks dismissed the backlash, emphasizing the campaign's importance in supporting the late actor's family during this difficult time.

On February 14, just a few days after Van Der Beek's passing, a Threads user posted an image on the social media site showing a TMZ headline that reads, "James Van Der Beek Bought $4.7 million Texas Ranch 1 Month Prior To Death," along with a screenshot of the GoFundMe page for the actor's family.

In the post, the user wrote, "This doesn't sit right with me... 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, who is a close friend of Van Der Beek, responded to the post, saying the headlines are  "fake AF," adding, "It's ok not to try to seek attention off of other people's suffering or the generosity in response to it... It's ok for you to stay quiet in the face of blind stupidity, meanness, and lack of empathy. But maybe you're not ok."

The "Law & Order" actor was one of those in the industry who shared a tribute to Van Der Beek after his death from colorectal cancer on February 11.

In an Instagram post, Brooks shared how he spent the time with Van Der Beek during his last days, holding his hand, praying with him, and telling him how much he loved him. "Literally just watch this man handle death like a king. He handled the transition like a king," he added.

Brooks also shared some of his reflections, urging his followers to live their lives and do things "that make you happy." "Don't worry about other people's opinions. They're not gonna f-cking matter. All that sh-t you're worried about right now is not gonna matter. We all know that. Sometimes we need to be reminded," Brooks shared.

Toward the end of the video, Brooks urged viewers to "figure out what's important" and hug their loved ones. He captioned the post, "Live now. RIP my brother King."

The controversy surrounding Van Der Beek's GoFundMe has to do with the Texas property he moved to when he and his family relocated from Los Angeles in 2020.

In an interview with City Lifestyle, Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, talked about their decision to move, saying that they wanted their children to have more space and "live in nature." At that time, the couple was going through challenges, with Kimberly having two miscarriages and Van Der Beek's mom passing away.

"It felt like LA had kind of birthed us out, and there was a real calling to move. It came from desire, it came from dreams, and by the time we left LA, we were in a deep gratitude for everything it had given us, but Texas was saying, 'Here's what you need, and we can provide this next layer for you,'" Kimberly shared.

They moved to a 36-acre property that reportedly cost $4.8 million.

Shortly after Van Der Beek's death, reports came out that he purchased the property just before his passing. Critics spoke out, questioning the actor's decision after a GoFundMe page was set up for his family, which noted they were "facing an uncertain future" financially.

As previously reported by The Blast, however, Van Der Beek finalized the purchase of the property by only paying a portion of the full amount. Moreover, friends and family helped raise funds for the downpayment.

"James secured down payment for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage," a family representative explained.

The GoFundMe for Van Der Beek's family is still receiving donations, and as of writing, it has raised $2.6 million, well over the $1.5 million target.

As previously reported by The Blast, a number of celebrities contributed to the campaign, including Steven Spielberg, Zoe Saldana, and Derek Hough.

Despite some critics, there are many who understand the family's situation, with one user saying, "It's incredible to see the support, but also a stark reminder of how medical costs can drain even a successful family's resources."

"The community showing up for his family speaks volumes. Two million in two days means people actually cared about the man beyond the screen. That's real legacy," another wrote.