Actor’s Wife Killed, Daughter Injured During Horrific Attack

The heartbreaking tragedy at a cultural festival in Vancouver left Hallmark actor Noel Johansen grieving the sudden loss of his wife, while he and their young daughter recover from injuries. The devastating incident, which occurred on April 26, 2025, has drawn support from fans and Hallmark colleagues across North America.

According to the Associated Press, an SUV barreled into the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival — an annual celebration of Filipino heritage — killing 11 people and injuring dozens more. Among those killed was Johansen’s wife, 50-year-old artist and costume designer Jen Darbellay. Johansen and their seven-year-old daughter Darby were both hurt in the crash. The couple’s teenage son, Ford, was not reported among the injured.

A family friend, actor and producer Michael Daingerfield Hall, told the Vancouver Sun that the family had been preparing to walk home just a block and a half away when the chaos unfolded. He later launched a GoFundMe to help support Johansen and his two children, a campaign that has since gone viral within the Hallmark fan community.

Johansen, visibly shaken and using crutches, appeared at a candlelight vigil two days later and spoke through tears about the loss of his wife. “What you see here, it’s just an injury that means nothing to me because what’s inside my heart is broken,” he told the crowd, as reported by Global News. “Because my wife passed away behind me at the incident, and everything that you said, she would have said.”

In a moment that moved many, he added, “Every time I think you hug someone, you should feel someone, and I felt — with everyone who hugged me since then — I felt her.”

Johansen is well-known to Hallmark Channel fans for supporting roles in films like Reunited at Christmas with Nikki DeLoach, Unleashing Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy, Home for Christmas Day starring Catherine Bell, All of My Heart: Inn Love with Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott, and appearances on When Calls the Heart and Chesapeake Shores.

A suspect — a 30-year-old man with a documented history of mental health-related interactions with law enforcement — has been charged in connection with the deaths, according to Reuters. Authorities have not indicated that the act was terror-related.

The Hallmark family has shown a united front in support of Johansen. On April 29, several Hallmark stars shared the GoFundMe link, which had originally aimed to raise $20,000. By April 30, that number had soared to nearly $150,000 thanks to an outpouring of support.

Actress Loretta Walsh shared a tribute on Instagram, remembering Darbellay as a “bright light – beautiful inside and out.” She described her as an artist, a gentle soul, and a loving mother and wife. “Noel and his 2 kids (aged 7 and 15) are going to need our support,” she wrote. “Please donate and support this lovely man and his family.”

Andrea Brooks also shared the fundraiser and added, “I cannot even find the words. 💔”

Other Hallmark names who helped amplify the campaign include Rukiya Bernard (The Chicken Sisters), Jaycie Dotin (Curious Caterer), and Pascale Hutton (When Calls the Heart).

A separate memorial for Darbellay is scheduled for April 30 at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School in Vancouver, where the community will gather to honor her life and artistic legacy.