James Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly has asked fans to donate to a fundraiser for the family after revealing that the Dawson’s Creek star’s cancer treatment has taken a huge financial toll on the family.
Van Der Beek died on Wednesday, aged 48, after a long struggle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, which he first revealed in November 2024.
Friends of the late actor set up the GoFundMe shortly after news of Van Der Beek’s death broke. The fundraiser hit its initial target of goal of $500,000 within four hours and was upgraded to $700,000, and has now passed $1m.
“James Van Der Beek was a beloved husband, father, and friend who touched the lives of everyone around him,” the fundraiser reads.
“Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care.
“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds,” it continued.
Van Der Beek had spoken about the cost of his treatment, and in November last year auctioned off wardrobe items and memorabilia from Dawson’s Creek and his 1999 American football film Varsity Blues to help him with “the financial cost of fighting cancer”.
“100 per cent of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own),” he had said at the time.
Kimberly shared a link to the GoFundMe on her Instagram after it was created, writing that it was created by friends to “support me our children during this time,” and she was accepting it with “gratitude and a broken heart”.
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The money raised is meant to cover “essential living expenses, pay bills, and support the children’s education”.
In September 2025, Michelle Williams organised a reunion of the Dawson’s Creek cast for a live charity reading of the first episode. The event raised money for the charity F Cancer. Van Der Beek had been due to take part, but was forced to withdraw due to “two stomach viruses”.
In the end, he appeared at the event via a video message, introducing his replacement Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and thanked fans for their support.
Van Der Beek first met Kimberly, a producer, during a spiritual trip to Israel, and the couple married a year later in a ceremony in Tel Aviv in 2010. The couple had four daughters and two sons together.
Following the news of his death, tributes from fans and peers have been pouring in. “I’m so sad for your beautiful family,” Sarah Michelle Gellar commented on the Instagram post. “While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F*** Cancer.”
“Sending love and light to your beautiful family,” Chad Michael Murray added. “James was a giant. We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us – he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.”
