Overview
- His wife, Kimberly, announced on Instagram that the Dawson's Creek actor died at 48 after battling colorectal cancer and asked for peaceful privacy.
- Friends launched a GoFundMe stating the family was out of funds from medical care and working to stay in their home, with money earmarked for living expenses and the children’s education.
- The fundraiser surpassed $2 million within about two days, drawing tens of thousands of donations and notable gifts from Steven Spielberg, Zoe Saldana, Jon M. Chu, and Guy Oseary.
- Co-stars and peers including Katie Holmes, Busy Philipps, Chad Michael Murray, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Alfonso Ribeiro posted tributes honoring his life and work.
- Coverage notes his openness about a 2024 colorectal cancer diagnosis and reports that the swift fundraising has renewed discussion of the burden of serious illness costs in the U.S.