Just days after a devastating tragedy claimed the life of his wife and left his daughter injured, Hallmark star Noel Johansen bravely took to the stage at a public vigil, sharing his heartbreak with the crowd.
The emotional scene unfolded in Vancouver, Canada, where a vigil was held for the victims of a shocking incident at a Filipino heritage festival. On Saturday evening, an Audi SUV careened into a street celebration for Lapu Lapu Day, killing eleven people and injuring many others.
Noel Johansen, best known for his roles in Psych, Supernatural, Fargo, and The Good Doctor, was visibly emotional as he spoke about his beloved wife, 50-year-old costume designer Jenifer Darbellay, who tragically passed away in the attack. Standing on crutches, he told the crowd, “What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me, because what’s inside my heart is broken.”
In the wake of the horrifying crash, Johansen and his seven-year-old daughter, Darby, were also injured, while his 15-year-old son, Ford, had been at the festival as well.
With tears in his eyes, Johansen paid tribute to his late wife, sharing, “Jenifer never celebrated herself, never thought of herself as important. But I can tell you, she was larger than life for anyone who knew her.”
The actor, who has starred in popular Hallmark Channel films and series like When Calls the Heart, Chesapeake Shores, Harvest Love, and Reunited at Christmas, urged those present to live fully and love deeply. “Don’t be small in life, be big—reach out as a human being with everything you have,” he implored. “Please remember us, and the pain we are going through.”
The vigil brought together a community united in grief, but Johansen’s heartfelt words reminded all who were listening of the importance of compassion and the resilience of the human spirit.