A rep for the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Texas says … it was reported to them at 6:44 AM. No cause of death was given.
James’ wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, posted about his passing shortly after we broke the news … writing in a shared Instagram post her husband “met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.” She asked for privacy for their family at this time.
The actor revealed he was battling stage 3 colorectal cancer in late 2024 … telling People he felt optimistic despite the difficult diagnosis.
Van Der Beek tried to do some good to help others who were facing similar battles just weeks after revealing his diagnosis … starring in a two-hour special of “The Real Full Monty” in December 2024 to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
DECEMBER 2024
ABC
Van Der Beek got emotional while discussing his cancer battle on “Good Morning America” in 2024 … especially when he mentioned everything his wife had done for him since he’d been diagnosed.
He was supposed to join his fellow “Dawson’s Creek” castmates in September, but he was forced to drop out of the reunion for health reasons. He ended up making a surprise virtual appearance … introducing Lin-Manuel Miranda, who read lines in his place.
Van Der Beek didn’t sulk in his last few months of life either … he even said cancer was the best thing that had ever happened to him in December 2025 — because it encouraged him to live a healthy, more religious life.
James rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the titular character in ‘Dawson’s’ … though he later gained recognition for his roles in “Scary Movie,” “Varsity Blues,” and “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.”
He also regularly grabbed recurring roles on many of the most popular shows of the last two decades … like “How I Met Your Mother,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Pose.”
JANUARY 2020
TMZ.com
We last caught up with Van Der Beek outside the famous Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah at Sundance 2020 … where we talked snowboarding and charity work with the veteran actor.
James is survived by Kimberley and their six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.
Shutterstock
He was 48.
RIP
Related articles
News
🚨 HE SAID MORE… BUT NOT IN COURT. 😱 Tanner Lynn Horner confessed to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand. That part is no longer in question. But now, jail letters are revealing something else. Not a denial. Not remorse. But details that don’t line up with what was made public. No extra names. No direct accusations. Just… gaps. And those gaps are exactly what’s bothering people. Officials say there’s no evidence of anyone else involved. But readers of the letters aren’t so sure. 👉 If nothing is missing… why don’t the stories match?
Disturbing video played in a Texas courtroom shows the former FedEx driver who pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand flipping between personalities as his defense argues his life should be spared due to his struggles with mental health. Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to the abduction and murder of Athena just moments before his trial was […]
🚨 HIS STORY: CHAOTIC FALL. SEARCH TEAMS: CALM WATER — TWO VERSIONS, ONE TRUTH?
“Strong currents subsequently carried her away,” and “he lost sight of her,” police said Brian Hooker told them. By Martin Goillandeau, Elizabeth Wolfe, Taylor Romine, Chris Boyette, CNN Published Apr 8, 2026 10:28 PM ICT | Updated Apr 9, 2026 9:39 PM ICT Copied A photo of Lynette Hooker, who is reportedly missing at sea in the Bahamas. […]
🚨 JUST 7 MONTHS OLD… AND THE FAMILY DOG TURNED FATAL 😱 WHAT WENT WRONG?
On the morning of April 9, 2025, in a home on the 3700 block of South Champion Avenue in south Columbus, Ohio, a routine day turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. Seven-month-old Elizah Renee Lynn Turner, a smiling baby girl described as never without a smile, was fatally attacked by one of the family’s three […]
THE VOICEMAIL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING… 24 HOURS LATER, AND NOTHING ADDS UP
“Strong currents subsequently carried her away,” and “he lost sight of her,” police said Brian Hooker told them. By Martin Goillandeau, Elizabeth Wolfe, Taylor Romine, Chris Boyette, CNN Published Apr 8, 2026 10:28 PM ICT | Updated Apr 9, 2026 9:39 PM ICT Copied A photo of Lynette Hooker, who is reportedly missing at sea in the Bahamas. […]
💔 THEY LEFT THE SYSTEM… BUT KEPT THE POWER.
While the high-profile couple had enjoyed the luxuries of a first-class suite for their 16-day official royal tour to Australia in 2018, this time they opted for business class seats on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Traditionally, royal tours begin with a photo call of the glamorous couple stepping off a plane – usually a Royal […]
💸 PRIVATE TOUR… OR PUBLIC BURDEN?
While the high-profile couple had enjoyed the luxuries of a first-class suite for their 16-day official royal tour to Australia in 2018, this time they opted for business class seats on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Traditionally, royal tours begin with a photo call of the glamorous couple stepping off a plane – usually a Royal […]
End of content
No more pages to load
