Several current and former Hallmark stars are sharing touching tributes after learning of a colleague’s death. Actor and celebrity photographer Brad Everett Young worked with multiple Hallmark stars over the years, and he left a big impression on them before his death.
Ben Hollingsworth & Will Kemp Are Heartbroken
As The Hollywood Reporter shared on September 17, Young died on September 14 after he sustained fatal injuries in a car crash. The media outlet reported that, according to Young’s publicist, Paul Christensen, the photographer’s car was hit by a wrong-way driver.
“Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane” star Ben Hollingsworth took to his Instagram page to share his heartbreak over Young’s death. Hollingsworth posted more than a dozen photos that Young had taken of him over the years. In the caption, he wrote, “Heartbroken to hear that Brad Everett Young has passed.”
He continued, “Brad was such a kind soul with an incredible passion for his photography. His drive and creativity were something to behold.”
Hollingsworth also mentioned Young’s Dream Loud Official campaign, a project about supporting art in schools. The actor noted it was “something he (and I) cared about deeply.” In addition, Hollingsworth shared that Young “always brought so much energy and heart to every shoot.”
Will Kemp, who starred in Hallmark’s “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane,” shared a tribute to Young via his Instagram Stories. He showed a number of photos Young had taken of him and wrote, “This is still such a shock to so many…Such a wonderful human and a kind, loyal soul.”
He added, “Your art lives on in the lives you’ve touched and the [photos] you’ve taken my friend.”
Jen Lilley Was a Close Friend of Young’s
Another Hallmark alum, Jen Lilley, shared an emotional tribute to Young on Instagram. She included a mix of photos and videos, many of which were casual selfies Lilley and Young took together.
“I can’t believe you’re gone. The man who just took this photo is dead. I woke up in shock and disbelief. I was sure it was a rumor,” Lilley worte.
She added, “@bradley206 was one of my dearest friends. He always joked that if he ever wrote a ‘Tell All’ book, he’d force me to co-write.”
Lilley noted that Young “was the only photographer I ever fully trusted and was completely natural in front of.” He made her laugh, she added, and she considered him “so much more than everyone’s fave celebrity photographer.”
Young loved pie, cake, his Virginia roots, his mom, and his brother, Lilley shared. She acknowledged, “I just have no words for all I’m feeling. And I know it’s going to be a while before I realize you’re gone. I just talked to you. It’s not fair.”
Kemp commented on Lilley’s post and admitted he also was in shock. “I recently reconnected with him on his Birthday and worked with him in LA. He took photos of me & my kids… utter shock & disbelief.”
Lilley responded directly to Kemp and wrote that Young had told her he had reconnected with Kemp and “talked about how wonderful you are. He loved you.”
Several other Hallmark alums commented with their condolences. Notes were left by entertainers such as Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, and Paul Greene, along with many fans.
