Humes, 70, who played Gail Leery in the cult favorite teen drama, wrote a tribute to Obi in the caption of her Instagram post, referring to him as a “bright shining light” and an example of “pure unfiltered love and tenacity.” “It’s hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend,” she expressed, adding, “Rest in peace, sweet warrior.”
According to his profile on L.A. Theater Works, Obi, a Yale University drama school graduate, was also a yoga teacher. Besides Dawson’s Creek, his TV credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, The West Wing, and NYPD Blue.
Per the Los Angeles Times, Obi became a double amputee after being hit by an SUV while loading his car with groceries in a supermarket parking lot in 2019. Speaking about the accident in a video interview with the publication in 2020, Obi said he could have easily died in the mishap but has now accepted the reality of his loss.
“I’m in a new body now. Life goes on,” he noted. Obi Ndefo’s cause of death is not known, as the actor’s sister did not list it in her earlier-mentioned announcement on Facebook.