James Van Der Beek burst into our lives in 1998 as Dawson Leery, the star of the iconic teen drama Dawson’s Creek. He shared a famously complicated relationship with Jen (Michelle Williams), drove Joey (Katie Holmes) to distraction, was a (mostly) loyal friend to Pacey (Joshua Jackson) — and undoubtedly won our hearts.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. His final days were marked by courage, faith and grace. There is much more to share about his wishes, his love for humanity and the sanctity of time — those days will come. For now, we ask for privacy as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
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James Van Der Beek burst into our lives in 1998 as Dawson Leery
(Photo: Getty Images)
In recent years, the actor battled an aggressive cancer, and after a long fight, he ultimately found peace. Before we say goodbye, we look back at the full life of the young man who once made us all swoon and who grew into a devoted husband and full-time father.
In the late 1990s, Van Der Beek began dating actress Heather McComb. The connection was immediate. They dated for several years and married in 2003. Six years later they separated, finalizing their divorce a year after that.
Unlike many Hollywood breakups, theirs was amicable. “The split was very friendly and they remain good friends,” a source confirmed.
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James Van Der Beek with ex-wife actress Heather McComb; they remained frineds
(Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
People magazine reported that the Dawson’s Creek star paid his ex-wife $7,750 per month in spousal support through 2012, despite having no children together. McComb was earning $1,750 per month at the time, compared to Van Der Beek’s reported $35,000 monthly income.
A few months after separating, Van Der Beek visited Israel. While dining at La Mer restaurant on Bograshov Beach, he met Kimberly Brook, who would become his next wife.
In August 2010, Van Der Beek and Brook returned to Israel and married in an intimate ceremony at the Kabbalah Centre on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. Two months before the wedding, they confirmed they were expecting their first daughter together.
“I was famous, I was rich, I got divorced, I was less rich, I was single — and I was in Israel. I finished being single. I wanted a real relationship, a soulmate, someone I could build a family with,” he wrote on their anniversary in 2020.
“I was in the middle of a self-discovery conversation with a friend when a soft voice interrupted us to ask a question. I got annoyed — who the hell is ruining this moment? I turned around and saw Kimberly. Three days later, I asked her what she was looking for in a relationship and she said she wasn’t interested in one. Six months later we were living together, two weeks after that we were pregnant, and almost a year after our first date we were married.”
Van Der Beek added: “This marriage has required me to be more present, more yes, more authentic, more open, more patient, more passionate, more courageous, more fun and more vulnerable than ever before. We’ve experienced joy, pain, and everything in between, and even in our most heated arguments — she is the one I want by my side.
“Kimberly, you amaze me. Your courage, your softness, and your refusal to settle for less than what can and should be. You are the best person I know. I love you and look forward to earning your partnership in the years ahead. Happy anniversary, baby.”
James and Kimberly had six children together: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4. The dream of a large family was always there, alongside the many hardships they endured.
In June 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actor revealed on Instagram that his wife had suffered a miscarriage — just seven months after experiencing a similar loss. Over nine years, the couple endured five miscarriages.
“After experiencing a brutal and very public miscarriage in November, we were overjoyed to learn we were pregnant. This time we kept it to ourselves. Last weekend, 17 weeks in, the soul we were so excited to welcome into the world had plans that did not include joining our family physically.”
The couple made it a mission not to hide their losses, hoping to support others facing similar pain. In 2018, after the birth of their daughter Gwendolyn, Van Der Beek reflected on a prior miscarriage and called for a new term to replace “miscarriage.”
“It suggests fault on the mother — as if she dropped something or failed to carry it. I’ve learned that in the vast majority of cases, it has nothing to do with anything the mother did or didn’t do. So let’s wipe the blame off the table,” he said.
“It hurts and it’s heartbreaking at levels that are probably deeper than you’ve ever experienced," he added. "So don’t judge the grief or try to rationalize it. Let it flow in waves as it comes and give it space. And then, once you feel able, try to focus on the beauty of how you put yourself back together differently than you were before.”
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James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Brook and five of their six children
(Photo: Instagram)
Tragedy struck again when, just a month after revealing another miscarriage, Van Der Beek’s mother, Melinda Weber, died at 70.
“My mom passed away last week. Although we knew it was coming — and thought we were at the end about a year and a half ago — I’m still in shock,” he wrote. “I’m grateful she’s no longer in pain. But I’m sad, angry, relieved and feeling so many things at once and at different moments.” He added that despite the pain, he was “happy she’s taking care of the five children we lost — on the other side.”
By the end of 2020, the accumulation of loss led Van Der Beek and his wife to leave their Los Angeles home and relocate to Texas.
“In the past 10 months, we experienced two late-term pregnancy losses that sent Kimberly to the hospital. We spent Christmas thinking she might have a tumor (the doctor was wrong, thank God), a business partner I employed took over a project and stabbed me in the back, I was prematurely eliminated in front of the world from a dance reality show I was favored to win and my mother died. Then lockdown. All of that led to dramatic changes in our lives, dreams, and priorities — and brought us here. Filled with gratitude today.”
He later shared photos from a park near their new home, writing enthusiastically about the freedom they felt.
“In the park in Beverly Hills near the house we moved from, you couldn’t fly a kite. In any of the parks in Beverly Hills. Ride a bike, climb a tree, throw a ball… When people ask why we’re taking our kids out of Los Angeles, these are just some of the reasons.”
During their move, he reflected: “When I was a kid, I thought freedom would be getting the things I dreamed about. It wasn’t. Then I thought freedom would be being free from everything. That wasn’t it either. Now, in the middle of moving to a new state, 2,414 kilometers from anywhere I’ve ever lived, I’m beginning to feel that freedom is the audacity to love with your whole heart — and the courage to put what you love at the center of your life. I’m working on it.”
In November 2024, Van Der Beek revealed he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it with the support of my incredible family,” he told People. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
A few days later, he explained why he chose to speak publicly: “It’s cancer. Every year, roughly two billion people worldwide receive this diagnosis, and I’m one of them. There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I’d planned to speak about it in depth with the magazine at some point to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. That plan changed early this morning when I learned a tabloid was planning to publish it. I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and focusing on my health more than ever. I’m in a good place and feeling strong.”
In response, Kimberly shared a romantic image of two northern cardinal birds and wrote: “They are ‘romantic’ birds that stay together for life, travel together, and sing before they nest and feed each other berries during courtship.”
Last November, Van Der Beek partnered with Propstore auction house to offer fans the chance to purchase memorabilia from his career, with 100% of proceeds going to him to help cover cancer-related expenses.
Among the items were the necklace Dawson gave Joey at prom — estimated at $26,400 to $52,800 — and his look from the series’ first episode, valued at nearly $4,000.
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James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes on the set of Dawson's Creek
(Photo: Getty Images)
“With all the unexpected turbulence life has brought lately, it’s clear to me the time is now. There’s nostalgia as I part with these items, but it also feels right to share them with the people who’ve supported me along the way,” he said at the time.
Wednesday, after a long and determined battle with illness, Van Der Beek died.
“I am rarely left without words… and today is an exception. James, my noble warrior, you fought a hard battle against all odds with quiet strength and dignity. I will always love and admire you for that,” wrote Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson’s mother.
Busy Philipps, who portrayed Audrey Liddell on the series, wrote: “My heart aches deeply for all of us today… everyone who knew and loved James. But my heart especially breaks for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children.”
“James set a high bar as a husband, as a father, and as a big brother (to me),” wrote actress Rumer Willis. “I’m grateful to have witnessed the love, respect, and care you — his family — showed one another. Sending you all my love and light.”