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Actor Obi Ndefo died on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the age of 51 after a long illness, his sister Nkem Ndefo announced in a social media post on Monday, Sept. 2.
"Tragically, Obi’s heart gave out in his longstanding battle against the eating disorder orthorexia," Nkem Ndefo wrote in a post on X, adding, "As his family, we share this news to bring attention to orthorexia’s severity and in the hopes that those suffering from this devastating disease receive the compassionate care they deserve."
Known for playing Bodie Wells on "Dawson's Creek," Ndefo also had roles in other popular shows including "Stargate SG-1," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "3rd Rock from the Sun," and "The West Wing."
Ndefo spent some of his early years in Connecticut, where he graduated from Yale University's drama school. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in 1994 and Master of Fine Arts in 1997.
He wasn't only an actor, though — Ndefo also founded the Los Angeles-based non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity to support art education in public schools and communities. Additionally, Ndefo was also a yoga teacher.
In the years before his death, he met tragedy in 2019 when he was struck by a drunk driver while loading groceries into his car's trunk. As a result of the crash, his right leg was severed on impact, while his left was shattered and had to be amputated, according to reports.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in December 2019, Ndefo commented on his attitude following the crash:
"This is just so horrendous what happened to me, why would I compound this by feeling bad about it? I didn’t even have to choose positivity," he said.
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