‘Dawson’s Creek’ star Jacobus Van Der Beek passed away after a two-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
The 48-year-old actor, who revealed at the end of 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer, was found to have died by his wife. Kimberly Van Der Beek.
Kimberly revealed the tragic news of his passing via an Instagram post captioned: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning,” Kimberly wrote. “He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. There is much to be said about his wishes, love for humanity and the sanctity of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we mourn our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
James, who shares six children with his wife, previously revealed he was undergoing treatment at his family’s sprawling ranch in Austin, Texas, after moving to the property from Los Angeles in 2020.
His death comes as a shock as he had pleasantly surprised fans with a video of himself donning a football jersey, followed by another of him throwing the ball around with his son in the backyard of their Austin home.
The videos posted on Instagramearned high praise from fans who were thrilled to see the “Dawson’s Creek” star return to his daily routine.
In the first clip, the actor revealed he would be selling replicas of the jersey he wore in his 1999 film “Varsity Blues.”
In the caption, he revealed that the money will go to families who have a loved one battling cancer, noting that they will “directly help with treatment and support families who are on the same path.”
The actor previously opened up about the one symptom of his colorectal cancer that he ignored, admitting that he initially attributed the physical change to his coffee routine.
The change in question? Minor irregularities in his bowel movements.
“There was no red flag or anything noticeable,” he said Healthlineadmitting that he believed he was in great condition when he was diagnosed.
“I was healthy. I did the cold plunge. I had great cardiovascular fitness and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea.”
At the time of his diagnosis, the actor — who left Hollywood and moved to Texas in 2020 — told People that he had been dealing with his diagnosis “privately” with the support of his loved ones, explaining that he was “feeling good” despite his health issues.
At the time, he lifted the lid on his battle with cancer, while also recalling how he broke the news of his diagnosis to Kimberly and their six children: Olivia14, Joshua13, Annabel11, Emilia9, Gwendolyn7, and Jeremiah3.
“I’m far from an expert, but our approach was just to be as honest as possible, as honest as they could understand, right?” he said during an appearance on the “Today‘ to show. ‘Because they know. They sense that daddy is having a rough day. They know if daddy is in pain. They know, and by not telling them I think you’re confusing them even more.
“And be surprised by their resilience. When you tell them what you’re doing and you tell them the approach, they can see it and feel it, and I think it’s your journey too, their journey.”
At the time, he revealed that he had accepted that cancer would be part of his life.
“I’m just traveling,” he said. “It’s a process. It will probably be a process for the rest of my life.”
He revealed that making lifestyle changes to his diet and exercise routine has become his “full-time” job.
The actor noted that he had been focusing on finding “the beauty of just slowing down and prioritizing rest and really letting that be the job.”
The actor encouraged people to get screened, explaining that when he was screened at age 46, he was unaware that medical professionals had changed the recommended screening age to 45.
“I thought I was way ahead of the game. I was eating as well as I could. I was healthy. I was in great cardiovascular shape. There was no reason in my mind that I should have gotten a positive diagnosis,” he said.
James revealed that he has made several changes to his health and wellness routine since his diagnosis, including following a keto diet, doing yoga and following a stretching regimen.
The actor revealed at the time that he still managed to find time for his on-screen projects, including a role in the upcoming “Legally Blonde” prequel, “Elle.”
“The best thing about work is that there’s no cancer between action and cut. It was fun to come over and just have a good time because it’s such a great cast, a great production, and everyone there is really talented,” he said.
His update on his cancer journey came eight months after he revealed his initial diagnosis, explaining in an Instagram post that he originally planned to share the news in an interview with People — until he heard that a tabloid publication was planning to run a story about it.
“There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I planned to talk about it in depth with People Magazine soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms,” he wrote in the caption. ‘But that plan had to change early this morning when I was told a tabloid was going to break the news.
“I’ve been dealing with this privately so far, getting the treatment and managing my overall health with more focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite an initiation and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.
“Apologies to all the people in my life that I wish I had told myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we are forging ahead, taking each surprise as a signpost and pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.
“Please know that my family and I truly appreciate all the love and support.”
The actor’s diagnosis came 26 years after he first rose to fame when he starred in the hit series “Dawson’s Creek,” which ran from 1998 to 2003. Van Der Beek went on to star in a number of other series, including “Varsity Blues” and “CSI: Cyber.”
He played a fictionalized version of himself on the show “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.”
The actor turned his back on the traditional A-lister lifestyle and eschewed the trappings of Los Angeles fame in favor of a quieter life on a Texas ranch.
The actor and his family moved to their Austin ranch in 2020 to find more “space” and a “connection to nature,” something he wanted his six children to experience away from the bright lights of Los Angeles.
