Alfonso Ribeiro's Wife Angela Reveals Their Kids Baked a Cake to 'Lift' Their 'Spirits' After Death of Close Friend James Van Der Beek

Alfonso Ribeiro and his wife, Angela Unkrich Ribeiro, are navigating grief with the help of their children.

On Monday, February 16, the 45-year-old revealed that their kids — AJ, 12, Anders, 10, and Ava, 6 — baked them a cake to cheer them up following the death of their close friend James Van Der Beek.

"Not the easiest week…but our kids made us this beautiful cake to lift our spirits today. Kids just know. 🤍," Angela wrote.

Alfonso also has a daughter ​​Sienna, 23, from his previous marriage to Robin Stapler and is the godfather of James’ daughter, Gwendolyn, 7.

The Dawson’s Creek alum passed away on February 11 after struggling with stage 3 colorectal cancer. Alfonso took to Instagram shortly after to share some words in honor of his friend.

“I’m so broken right now with the passing of my friend @vanderjames today. He was my true friend brother and life guide,” he captioned a smiling photo of them. “I was with him through this horrible journey to beat cancer. His family and friends went on this roller coaster ride. The highs when it looked like he had it beat to the breaking lows of it coming back. I’ve learned so much from James."

Alfonso went as far as to claim that James and his wife, Kimberly, “changed [his] life.”

“I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family. He will live forever in my heart,” he expressed. “I will always be there for their children. I will always hold my role as Gwen’s Goddie daddy as one of the most important roles of my life. I love you James and know I have a guardian angel watching over me. Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me. RIP my brother. RIP.”

One day later, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star shared a heartbreaking image of him hugging James on his death bed, with a hand caressing the late actor’s head.

“This was taken by @vanderkimberly just a few minutes before I said my last goodbye. My last moment was making him laugh one last time. I really miss him already,” he mourned.

Some social media users criticized Alfonso in the comments section for making a private moment public.

“No offense man but some pics should not be posted. This should have been let private,” one person wrote, then added, “Would you want someone to post a pic of you dying??”

However, the majority of fans rushed to the 54-year-old’s defense.

“I disagree I found this photo heartwarming to see the love between friends at a very emotional time. 💔,” someone commented.

A second user added, “Take my picture over and over! These moments are CRUCIAL for people.. for their healing and their legacy, keeping memories alive! Who are we to judge what another person does in these final moments, and whether or not they want to share them! This was clearly a monumental moment in both these men’s lives, and we should be honored we get to share in it, in a small way, instead of criticizing it. ❤️.”