Hudson Joseph Meek, a 16-year-old actor known for his role in the Oscar-nominated film Baby Driver, has tragically passed away at the age of 16.
The young star died after falling from a moving vehicle in his hometown of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, the New York Post reports.
The incident occurred on the evening of December 19, just south of Birmingham.
Meek sustained severe blunt force injuries and succumbed to his wounds two days later, on December 21.
“He was surrounded by friends, family, and the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” his family wrote in an obituary.
The Vestavia Hills Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident, according to a report by NBC affiliate WVTM.
A Promising Life Cut Short
From a young age, Meek demonstrated a promising acting career.
He portrayed Young Baby in Baby Driver – a three-time Oscar-nominated film – and appeared in the Emmy-nominated series MacGyver.
Meek’s voice lent character to commercials for Toys R Us, McDonald’s, and the online game League of Legends.
“Hudson was also an accomplished actor,” his obituary noted. “He worked on several major motion pictures and television shows, some of which will be released in 2025. He absolutely loved spending time on set and having the chance to learn the names and stories of every member of the cast and crew.”
Off-screen, Meek was a sophomore at Vestavia Hills High School. He played on the football team, sang in the Honor Choir, and was active in student government.
Outside of school, he achieved an advanced open-water scuba diving certification at just 14 and had managed to visit all 50 US states.
“Hudson’s personality was one of a kind,” the touching obituary continued.
“He was confident, convicted in his beliefs, spontaneous, and quick-witted. He never let the facts get in the way of a funny story, and he loved friendly banter.”
Remembering Hudson
Meek’s passing leaves behind his parents, brother, grandmothers, and extended family. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood, Alabama. For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed via his Instagram account and his mother’s Facebook page.
In his memory, the Hudson J. Meek Memorial Scholarship has been established to benefit a Vestavia Hills High School student each year. The family has requested donations to the fund in lieu of flowers.
Fans have since taken to the young star’s Instagram comments to pay tribute to the young star. “Sending love, hugs and my condolences to family and friends. May The Lord comfort your hearts in your time of sorrow,” one person wrote.
A second penned: “This is just so unbelievable. May his soul rest in peace. Much love to his family and everyone who knew him well, especially during this time of grief. My condolences to you all.”
“Rest in peace,” others wrote, with one supporter commenting: “We will always remember you.”
Our thoughts go out to Meek’s family, friends, and fans at this heartbreaking time.
Amber Heard weighs-in on Blake Lively’s lawsuit against former co-star Justin Baldoni
Amber Heard has spoken out on Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
As widely reported, 37-year-old Lively has taken legal action against her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
In the bombshell complaint, Lively has accused the 40-year-old Jane The Virgin star of creating a “hostile work environment” that caused her to suffer “severe emotional distress”.
It also states that her concerns about Baldoni predated the filming of the movie, which began in May 2023.
She has claimed that he added “gratuitous” nudity and sex scenes without her consent, asked “intrusive” questions about her and her husband Ryan Reynolds’ sex life, criticized her body and weight, improvised kiss scenes, and displayed a lack of boundaries.
The Gossip Girl star expressed her worries in an “all hands” meeting held on January 4, which was after a filming hiatus caused by the writers’ strike. It was attended by her husband, Baldoni, and his Wayfarer studio.
Lively’s attorneys said the star had made certain requests during the film, which included “no more improvising of kissing” and “no more personal, physical touching of, or sexual comments by, Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath to be tolerated by [Blake Lively] and/or any of her employees, as well as any female cast or crew without their express consent”.
Although the actress’ requests were reportedly agreed to, the lawsuit claims the actor and his production company orchestrated a smear campaign to destroy Lively’s reputation after filming had concluded.
In his statement, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman argued that Wayfarer hired a crisis communications team, which included Melissa Nathan – the same woman Johnny Depp hired during his high profile trial defamation trial against Amber Heard – because Lively allegedly threatened not to show up to set and film promotions.
“The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity,” he added, per NBC News.
Freedman also slammed the legal move as “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation,” per PEOPLE.
Amber Heard, who was at the center of a ferocious social media campaign during her trial against her ex-husband, has now weighed in on Lively’s lawsuit.
Speaking to NBC News, the 38-year-old actress said: “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.’
“I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
In Heard’s case, a jury unanimously awarded the 61-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages.
Depp applauded the outcome, while Heard said the decision “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated”.
Lively shared a statement to The New York Times after filing her lawsuit, which read: “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
You can read everything the actress has sued Baldoni for here.
