Tragic Details About James Van Der Beek

This article includes mentions of sexual assault and miscarriage.

Even after racking up dozens of other film and TV credits, James Van Der Beek will always be remembered as Dawson Leery from the hit '90s teen show "Dawson's Creek." It should therefore come as no surprise that Van Der Beek still gets asked about his breakout role in almost every interview. 

What's more, he's even been confronted with some of his co-stars' success. "This Morning" talk show host Phillip Schofield once introduced the actor by listing his castmates' various accomplishments (yes, really), before wondering aloud what Van Der Beek has been up to. The actor took it in jest, responding, "I have been on television the last 20 years, just to let you know." (via BBC). Van Der Beek has also been plagued by a meme of Dawson crying after his girlfriend, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), breaks up with him.

In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Van Der Beek confessed the fame that accompanied the hit show became a little too much at times. Even now, the actor still struggles with hearing "I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole, or the "Dawson's Creek" theme song. "I was at a pharmacy in Philadelphia and it came on and I immediately went into a weird panic," he said. "I think it's tied to the pandemonium that accompanied that, for which there was no off button." While "Dawson's Creek" mania eventually cooled, things weren't suddenly smooth sailing. Van Der Beek has faced some tragic and challenging ups and downs throughout his life.

As the #MeToo movement started gaining steam in 2017, emboldening survivors to seek help, James Van Der Beek spoke out about his own experience with sexual assault. Speaking to Variety, the actor explained that he couldn't stand seeing women being shamed for opening up about their experiences. "The only reason I shared anything was [because] I saw there was a tone that was being taken toward the women that were coming forward, judging why that hadn't come out earlier — 'Why are they coming out now?' — and I didn't like that," Van Der Beek explained, adding that people shouldn't be judged based on how long it takes them to work through what happened to them. He said he knew all too well the shame that accompanies unwanted sexual encounters, having gone through such an experience himself.

After so many women received unwarranted criticism for speaking out, Van Der Beek took to X, formerly Twitter, to address the issue and share his own story. He praised the women coming forward against Harvey Weinstein, calling the former film mogul and convicted sex offender's crimes "unacceptable" (via ABC News). In another tweet, Van Der Beek added, "I've had my a** grabbed by older, powerful men. I've had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger. I understand the unwarranted shame, powerlessness & inability to blow the whistle. There's a power dynamic that feels impossible to overcome."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, have six kids, but the couple had suffered five miscarriages while growing their family. One of these miscarriages led to Kimberly being hospitalized. James Van Der Beek opened up about the heartbreaking miscarriage on his wife's "Bathroom Chronicles" podcast in 2023, recalling how they were having an ordinary night at home when she started feeling ill. She then miscarried in the shower.

"It was just so much pain, and it was so unexpected because everything was right, everything was a fairytale. Everything was coming together perfectly," James said. "It progressed very quickly into being worried about Kim. We were both just crying and sobbing and there was a lot of blood. Way more blood than any delivery." After his wife lost consciousness, James called 911. Kimberly was taken to the hospital. 

James later shared on Instagram that his wife almost died. Explaining the miscarriage to his kids was tough, and he shared on Instagram how all five of them reacted to the news differently. "I'm not sure there's any one way to do it, since every kid is so different – one bawled immediately, one had questions, one tried to make jokes, one tried to avoid by acting crazy. I feel like all you can do when explaining the unimaginable is be present with them," he wrote.

Avid fans will remember James Van Der Beek's stellar run on "Dancing With The Stars" as well as his heartbreaking exit one week before the competition's finale. James' wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, had lost the couple's baby just that weekend, and the actor shared their story on the show. "You never know why these things happen, that's what I've been telling my kids," he said (via People). "All you know is that it brings you closer together."

James considered bowing out of the show after their family suffered this devastating loss, but Kimberly was adamant he continued his journey. Alas, he ended up becoming one of the most shocking eliminations in "Dancing with the Stars'" history. It came down between him and Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke, who got saved by the judges. The singer wanted nothing more than to give her spot to James, but the competition rules didn't allow her to do so. The actor, however, told Brooke to embrace her victory. "That just shows the type of character he is and the spirit he has," Brooke said.

In an Instagram post, James admitted that he and his family had a long road of healing ahead of them. "We've been through this before, but never this late in the pregnancy, and never accompanied by such a scary, horrific threat to @vanderkimberly and her well-being," he wrote.

While navigating his wife's miscarriages and a pandemic, James Van Der Beek also had to deal with the death of his mother, Melinda Van Der Beek. The actor took to Instagram in July 2020 to share the heartbreaking news. He explained that his mother had been ill for some time but that her death was a shock nonetheless. "I'm grateful she's no longer in pain, I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm relieved... all at once and in different moments. Just trying to hold space and allow for it all," James wrote. He reminisced about how his mother encouraged him to get into acting and diligently drove him to auditions in the early days. "She believed in me based on nothing but her own intuition and she passed on a craziness that has been crucial to not just my success, but my own personal happiness," he wrote.

A year later, on the anniversary of her death, James posted another tribute to his mother, letting her know that her grandkids were missing her dearly and that she's often the topic of conversation in his household. He admitted that navigating her death had been hard, that it was nothing like what he'd expected. "I thought I had a neat little expectation of what happens when loved ones cross over – how they communicate from the other side. Now I think I know less," he wrote, adding, "The grief continues to surface on layers I didn't know existed, and I do my best to honor it as it does."

Amid the slew of unfortunate events that seemed to follow James Van Der Beek in 2020, the actor also had a scary fall that sent him to the hospital. In November of that year, he took to his Instagram Stories to share a fun video of him rolling along on his Onewheel while wheeling trash cans outside. Later that day, however, Van Der Beek and his Onewheel had a bit of a misunderstanding. "When the battery gets low ... best to charge that thing up," the actor wrote on his Stories (via Us Weekly). "I didn't check. SO I tumbled." What followed was a series of posts showcasing his injuries — the actor had a nasty gash on his elbow, which needed four stitches. He told fans that he was lucky, considering he hadn't been wearing a helmet when he fell.

Van Der Beek explained that, when the Onewheel's battery gets low, it tends to go slower suddenly, causing it to nosedive. This is exactly what caused his fall — Van Der Beek tumbled right over and made fast friends with the ground. "I have a lot of fun with that thing, and it works great as long as the battery is above 10 percent," he joked with his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek.

In February 2021, James Van Der Beek found himself rushing to the hospital again after his daughter, Emilia Van Der Beek, cut her face after she hit her head on a table. James' wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, detailed the saga on her Instagram Stories, telling her followers that the wound could be treated with glue instead of stitches. "She breathed through it all and the doctors and nurses here have had a 100 percent success rate with us of handling situations with fully informed decision offerings, friendliness and care," Kimberly wrote on her Stories (via E! News). While treating the wound went off without a hitch, Kimberly admitted that her daughter was scared, but after the doctor fixed her up, she couldn't stop singing their praises.

While Emilia's injury had been minor, it came after an intense year for James and his wife. In October 2020, the actor took to Instagram to talk about the couple's decision to trade Los Angeles for Texas, saying the series of tragic events that followed them that year played a big part in their decision. "In the last ten months, we've had two late-term pregnancy losses, each of which put @vanderkimberly in the hospital," he wrote. "We spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor (the doctor was wrong, thank god), I was prematurely booted off a reality dancing show I was favored to win in front of the whole world, and my mom died. And a shut-down."

In 2024, James Van Der Beek faced yet another adversity: He was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Speaking to People about his diagnosis, the actor said he never saw it coming. "I'd always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape," he said. He also noted that cancer did not run in his family. 

After undergoing a colonoscopy, James said he'd felt relieved that he'd done it, expecting to receive a clean bill of health. But the opposite happened. "Then the gastroenterologist said — in his most pleasant bedside manner — that it was cancer. I think I went into shock," he admitted.

Telling his kids was challenging for James. "They're scared," he told People. "It's natural. But they've been so supportive and loving and tender." He added that his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, has been his rock during this difficult time. "There's no way to get through this without her," he admitted. James' kids, at least, have been trying to find some humor in the situation. "One thing I've asked every doctor is, 'What are the odds that I can get my kids to stop calling it 'butt cancer'? The prognosis is never good on that one," he quipped.

Before James Van Der Beek could reveal his heartbreaking health news to some of his close family members, the media somehow got hold of the story. The actor then had no choice but to confirm his diagnosis on social media. "It is cancer..." Van Der Beek started his post, explaining that he'd opted to keep his diagnosis private while undergoing initial treatments, but that he'll have many stories to tell in the future. He then apologized to all his loved ones and friends who had to hear about his diagnosis on the news or social media. "Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline... But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention," he wrote.

Van Der Beek had always been planning on telling the public about his diagnosis; before things went sideways and the news leaked prematurely, he sat down with People to talk about his health news. The actor said he wanted his diagnosis to spread awareness and to help those on similar journeys. "In the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly," he explained. "And I've found a lot of support that way."

James Van Der Beek first noticed something was amiss when he started experiencing some unusual gastrointestinal symptoms. "It was just a change in bowel habits," he told People, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is often one of the first tell-tale signs of colon cancer, along with bloody stools, rectal bleeding, and abdominal discomfort. Van Der Beek didn't think too much of the changes at first, assuming he simply had to make some adjustments to his diet.

"I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee. Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn't improve, I thought, 'All right, I better get this checked out,'" he recalled. If Van Der Beek had continued to ignore his symptoms, his diagnosis might have been more dire. Cleveland Clinic notes that, by the time people notice the tell-tale signs of colon cancer, it has usually already progressed, hence why early screening (as soon as you turn 45) is vital. Those who have a family history of the disease are advised to start testing earlier.

Colon cancer develops slowly over the course of about 10 years, which means early detection is possible. When undergoing a colonoscopy, doctors can spot any polyps that have formed and remove them, after which they can be tested for cancer cells. Because of its slow progression and the ability to detect it early, colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with UCSF Health noting that 90% of cases are preventable — if people go for early screenings.

James Van Der Beek's cancer diagnosis only left him with more questions, and as he told People, he's someone who wants answers. However, his cancer journey hasn't provided him with many thus far. "The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer," he admitted. "You think, 'How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?'"

Having his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, see him dealing with the disease has also been hard. The actor told People that he has nothing but sympathy for his other half. "As much as it sucked this past year, there's not a moment that I ever would have wanted to trade with her watching me go through this. To every caregiver out there, man, God bless you and thank you," he said.

Despite his tough journey, James is determined to remain hopeful, saying he's "cautiously optimistic" but also waiting to see how his treatment progresses before making any predictions. His diagnosis has changed his outlook on life and the actor said he's started to take special care of not only his physical health, but his mental health as well. "I thought, 'This is either going to take me out of the body, or it's going to teach me how to truly live in it," he explained. In the meantime, he said, "I have a lot to live for."