Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek has passed away from cancer.
In November 2025, James gave a candid interview about his cancer diagnosis. And how his six kids were coping with it.
“They know if Dad’s in pain. They know, and so by not telling them, I think you’re confusing them even more,” he said to TODAY. He continued that they “can sense Dad’s having a tough day.”
The actor previously missed a Dawson’s Creek reunion show in New York, organised by Michelle Williams, due to two stomach viruses related to his cancer. The role of Dawson will go to James’ understudy, the award-winning songwriter, actor, singer, and filmmaker, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there,” he shared in a post on Instagram. “I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.”
While James couldn’t attend the reunion in person, he appeared virtually. James shared a pre-recorded video where he thanked fans for their love and joked that his replacement Lin, was an upgrade his children supported.
Many months after the reunion in November 2025, James revealed that he would be selling his precious mementoes from Dawson’s Creek, including props and clothing. The proceeds will go “directly toward helping with treatment and supporting families walking the same path.”
The selection includes the outfit he wore in the pilot episode, the necklace Dawson gifted Katie Holmes’ character Joey for prom, and the cleats from his Varsity Blues role.
Items will feature in the Propstore’s Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction from December 5 to 7.
Ahead of the auction, James shared a video of him wearing the number four Varsity Blues jersey. In the caption, he thanked all his fans for the “love, the prayers, and the support.”
Following his death, Kimberly’s friends have set up a GoFundMe page as James’ family face an “uncertain future.”
“Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care. In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds,” the description read.
“They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.”
As of writing, the GoFundMe has almost reached its goal of $1.3 million.
When did James Van Der Beek receive the cancer diagnosis?
In August 2023, at age 46, James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. He underwent a colonoscopy prompted by changes in his bowel habits — a common early sign he initially dismissed as diet-related.
He publicly disclosed the diagnosis in November 2024.
Speaking on TODAY, James described his cancer experience as a “full‑time job”, sharing how he’s adapted his lifestyle and reflecting that cancer might remain a long-term process.
Does James have any children?
Yes, James and his wife Kimberley are parents to six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn and sons Joshua and Jeremiah, who they welcomed in 2021 following earlier late-term pregnancy losses.
James and Kimberley chose to tell their children about his diagnosis in an open, age-appropriate way. He explained that children sense emotional shifts, so honesty helped them understand what was happening.
Was James Van Der Beek still working?
While he was taking on minor roles, he took a step back to focus on family and healing. In 2025 appeared in the US version of The Masked Singer. Furthermore, in May 2025, he accepted a role as Dean Wilson in Elle, a Legally Blonde prequel series produced by Reese Witherspoon which is set to release in July 2026.
However, the work he is most known for is as Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003 alongside Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, and Katie Holmes.
Another noteworthy role on his roster includes Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in Varsity Blues (1999). Mox is a backup quarterback who challenges the toxic pressure of high school football culture in small-town Texas. It cemented his transition to film and became a cult hit.
And his performance as a fictional, exaggerated version of himself — vain, fame-obsessed, and hilariously self-aware — in US sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013) earned him critical acclaim for his comedic timing and willingness to poke fun at his own legacy.
