‘Dawson’s Creek’ Actor Obi Ndefo Dead at 51

Obi Ndefo, the actor best known for his role as Bodie Wells on Dawson’s Creek, has died, according to family.

“Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother 💔 and knowing he’s finally at peace ❤️‍🩹🕊️✨,” Ndefo’s sister Nkem wrote Saturday in a Facebook post. She did not immediately provide any further details on Ndefo’s passing.

Ndefo’s character on Dawson’s Creek was the boyfriend of lead character Joey Potter’s older sister, and was frequently used on the show to highlight racism experienced by Black men in small-town America. In addition to acting, Wells, a graduate of Yale’s drama school, was a writer and yoga teacher and volunteered at the nonprofit Arts Alliance for Humanity at the Santa Monica Playhouse.

Ndefo lost both of his legs in 2019 after being hit by a car while leaving a grocery store in Los Angeles. He remained resilient after the accident despite mental and physical tolls, documenting his recovery on social media and telling the Los Angeles Times later that year that he felt “not one ounce” of anger at the driver.

“What an example of pure unfiltered love and tenacity you set as you faced life’s challenges,” wrote actor Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson Leery’s mother on the show, in an Instagram tribute. “You always were and always will be a bright shining light.”

“There is a through line to recovery and there’s a through line to love and joy,” Ndefo told the All The Wiser podcast in 2021. “There’s a return to love. It exists. It’s always there.”