family

James Van Der Beek was forced to miss the Dawson's Creek reunion. But he sent a poignant video.

James Van Der Beek became a household name in the late '90s playing Dawson Leery, the passionate aspiring filmmaker at the centre of the hit teen drama Dawson's Creek.

For six seasons, audiences watched Dawson navigate the complexities of adolescence alongside his best friends Joey, Pacey, and Jen in the picturesque fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

More than two decades later, the 48-year-old actor was set to reunite with his co-stars for what promised to be an emotional gathering — but life had other plans.

Van Der Beek was forced to miss the highly anticipated 2025 Dawson's Creek reunion due to illness.

However, the actor refused to sit out entirely, surprising fans with a sweet video appearance.

Watch: A snippet of James Van Der Beek's surprise video message. Post continues after video.


Video via Instagram/backtoyoubobpod

Monday's one-time-only charity event brought together Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps for a live reading of the show's pilot episode at Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.

ADVERTISEMENT

The evening of laughs and tears was held in support of F Cancer and Van Der Beek, who shared his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis last year.

During his surprise virtual appearance, Van Der Beek thanked fans for purchasing tickets and introduced Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda as his understudy for the role of Dawson.

"I have been looking forward to this night for months and months, ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together," the actor said.

"I can't believe I'm not there. I can't believe I don't get to see my cast mates, my beautiful cast in person."

He continued, "I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who's doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you — you are the best fans in the world."

James Van Der Beek shares a surprise video with fans during the Dawson's Creek runion charity event.James Van Der Beek shares a surprise video with fans. Image: Instagram/backtoyoubobpod.

ADVERTISEMENT

Van Der Beek shared his special thanks to everyone involved, saying the turnout was "absolutely humbling".

The actor's wife Kimberly attended the night with their children, and joined the cast on stage for a sing-along of the series' theme song, 'I Don't Want to Wait' by Paula Cole.

After the event, she shared an emotional video thanking everyone for their support.

"This night was so special to the whole family, and more importantly, just feeling my husband fill the entire theatre, and the love for him," she said.

"We'll be unwinding this one for a while, but thank you for the love and support and for the prayers, cause right here, front and centre, is my husband on my heart.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It was a beautiful night, and I miss my husband. I can't wait to go see him tomorrow."

Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes embrace along cast members during the Dawson's Creek Class Reunion.Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes embrace along cast members during the Dawson's Creek Class Reunion. Image: Getty.

Just one day before the charity event, Van Der Beek shared the disappointing news he couldn't attend with fans in an Instagram post.

ADVERTISEMENT

"This is the evening I'd been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January," Van Der Beek wrote in a caption.

"Despite every effort… I won't get to be there. I won't get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theatre for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most."

Two stomach viruses prevented the actor from attending the charity event. Van Der Beek sent Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda as his replacement and delivered a video message to attendees.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here's what James Van Der Beek has been up to since Dawson's Creek.

James Van Der Beek's cancer diagnosis.

In November 2024, Van Der Beek was forced to announce his cancer diagnosis earlier than planned after learning a tabloid was about to break the story.

"There's no playbook for how to announce these things, but I'd planned on talking about it at length with PEOPLE at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," he said in an Instagram post.

"But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news."

The actor explained that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer — a type of cancer that affects the colon or the rectum.

"I've been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family," the actor told PEOPLE.

"There's reason for optimism, and I'm feeling good."

Van Der Beek has since opened up about the symptoms that led to his diagnosis during a routine colonoscopy in August 2023.

"It was just a change in bowel habits," he later told the publication.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I thought, I probably need to change my diet a little bit. Maybe I need to stop coffee. Maybe I need to not put cream in the coffee. And then I finally took that out of the diet, and it didn't improve, and I thought, all right, I better go get this checked out."

When he went in for the procedure, he wasn't worried. But as he came out of anaesthesia, the gastroenterologist told him it was cancer.

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly. Image: Instagram/@vanderjames

ADVERTISEMENT

Following his diagnosis announcement, Van Der Beek opened up about how the experience changed his perspective on identity.

"I had to come nose to nose with death, and all of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me. I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband that was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them."

He continued, saying he was faced with a question: "If I am just a too-skinny, weak guy alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I? And I meditated, and the answer came through.

"I am worthy of God's love simply because I exist. And if I'm worthy of God's love, shouldn't I also be worthy of my own? And the same is true for you."

Van Der Beek said that if his mindset felt too religious, his fans "can take the word God out".

"Your mantra can simply be, 'I am worthy of love,' because you are. Thank you for the love and prayers, everyone. Have a blessed day."

His wife Kimberly Brook also posted her own tribute to the actor.

"May our hearts continue to dance together for many many many many more birthdays," she wrote on Instagram.

ADVERTISEMENT

"You are a treasure. I feel like the luckiest lady in the world to be married to you. May this year bring you so much laughter, dancing, deepening connection with God, exceptional health and exquisite beauty all around — plus, of course — family snuggles, sunrises, sunsets, play and restorative rest."

James Van Der Beek's family life.

Van Der Beek lives with his wife and six children — daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah — worlds away from that seaside New England location, on a ranch south of Austin in the Lone Star State.

james-van-der-beek-wife-and-kidsJames Van Der Beek and his family. Image: Instagram/@vanderjames

ADVERTISEMENT

"We wanted to get the kids out of Los Angeles. We wanted to give them space, and we wanted them to live in nature," he previously told Austin Lifestyle.

"It's expansive and nature will hug you and heal you," Brook added, sharing that the couple had experienced two miscarriages at 17 weeks in 2019 and 2020, and felt like the relocation would be healing.

Over the years, Van Der Beek has spoken at length about fatherhood, and regularly muses on his learnings, mistakes and observations.

"I think fatherhood changes you from the inside out," he told PEOPLE in 2020. "It's not this thing where you think, 'Oh, I have to be responsible, I have to take more on.' You just want to, almost automatically."

The 48-year-old and his wife Kimberly also told the publication that their large brood of six children was very much a fluke.

"Well, we love having kids, but we didn't really plan it out," Kimberly said. "It just happened. We had one planned child."

Van Der Beek added, "One! Out of six. One was 100 per cent on purpose. The one thing we really sucked at was not getting pregnant. But thank God, honestly, because it's such a struggle for people, and we really don't take it for granted."

ADVERTISEMENT

james-van-der-beek-and-sonVan Der Beek and his son. Image: Instagram/@vanderjames

He also opened up about undergoing a vasectomy to finally put a cap on their large family. Once he'd had the procedure, he briefed the kids not to run up and hug him as his 'private parts' might be a bit sore.

ADVERTISEMENT

"My youngest daughter looked me straight in the eye and said, 'Daddy, I hope your vagina feels better,'" he laughed. "I was like, 'Is she taking a shot at me?'"

Along the same lines, he's had to school his children not to refer to his cancer as 'butt cancer'.

"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 joked.

But in all seriousness, it's clear his diagnosis at such a young age has taken its toll on the family.

Kimberly said, "This has been a really difficult year, but there's been this underlying way that we savour life differently. It feels like we understand what real true presence is, what savouring life feels like, finding the beauty in all of it."

"There's no way to get through this without her," Van Der Beek said through tears.

"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."

Feature Image: Instagram/@vanderkimberly/@vanderjames

This article was originally published on July 24, 2023 and has since been updated with new information.

Love all-things fashion? We want to hear about your fashion shopping habits! Complete our survey for a chance to win a $50 gift voucher.

00:00 / ???