James Van Der Beek, the star of the 1990s teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died at age 48 after battling cancer, his wife Kimberly announced on Instagram. She said he passed peacefully that morning, facing his final days with courage, faith, and grace. A GoFundMe campaign for his family raised over $200,000 in less than an hour.
Kimberly Van Der Beek announced on Instagram the death of her husband, James David Van Der Beek, on Wednesday at age 48. She wrote, “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”
A Connecticut native, Van Der Beek rose to fame playing Dawson Leery in the series Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003, alongside Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, and Katie Holmes. The show focused on a love triangle involving Leery, Joey Potter, and Pacey Witter. In 1998, he told Live with Regis and Kathie Lee: “These characters speak very honestly about everything that 15-year-olds are waking up and dealing with every day — relationships, the opposite sex, parents, school, dreams, aspirations.”
In 2024, he revealed his colorectal cancer diagnosis, discovered during a routine colonoscopy in 2023. “I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” he posted on social media. He continued sharing updates on his cancer battle until his passing.
Beyond Dawson’s Creek, he appeared in more than 60 films and TV shows, including quarterback Mox in Varsity Blues in 1999 and Sean Bateman in The Rules of Attraction in 2002. Fans and fellow actors paid tribute, with Sarah Michelle Gellar writing: “While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world.” A GoFundMe was set up to raise $500,000 for his widow and six children.
