Days after his wife, a costume designer, was killed when an Audi SUV crashed into a crowd of festival attendees, a Hallmark celebrity courageously spoke at a public event
At the vigil in Vancouver, Canada, for the victims killed when a mentally ill driver ploughed into crowds gathered for a festival to honor Filipino heritage, British citizen Noel Johansen, who previously lived in London, fought back tears as he spoke about his wife Jenifer Darbellay, 50.
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, an SUV crashed into a crowded street celebration honoring Lapu Lapu Day, killing eleven people and injuring scores more.
Johansen and his daughter Darby, age seven, were also hurt. Ford, his 15-year-old son, went to the festival as well.
The actor, who has appeared in Psych, Supernatural, Fargo and The Good Doctor, was on crutches as he addressed Monday’s vigils: “What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me because what’s inside my heart is broken.”
“Because my wife passed away behind me at the incident.”
“She never celebrated herself in her life. She never thought of herself; she thought of herself as small in terms of the reach. And I can tell you she was larger than life for any of you who know her. So don’t be small in life, be big, reach out and reach out as a human being with everything you have, and please remember us who went through this.”
When Calls the Heart, Chesapeake Shores, Harvest Love, Reunited at Christmas, Garage Sale Mystery: All That Glitters, and Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery are among the Hallmark Channel series and movies for which Johansen is most well-known.
