Actress Katie Holmes honored her friend and “Dawson’s Creek” co-star James Van Der Beek following his tragic passing on Wednesday, February 11 after a brave battle with cancer. He was only 48 years old. His wife, Kimberly, put out a statement on Instagram:
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
The actor announced back in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023. “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” Van Der Beek told PEOPLE at the time.
Holmes Honors Van Der Beek & His Memory
GettyThe actress posted a beautiful, handwritten letter to Instagram on February 12.
“I formed some words with a heavy heart,” Holmes wrote in the caption of her post. “This is a lot to process. I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James’ journey. He is beloved. Kimberly, we love you and will be here always for you and your beautiful children.”
The note began, “James, Thank you. To share space with your imagination is sacred – breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each others’ hearts are safe in their expression… These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs—adventures of a unique youth…”
Holmes continued, “Bravery. Compassion. Selflessness. Strength. An appreciation for life and the action taken to live life with the integrity that life is art—creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children – the journey of a hero. I mourn this loss with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it.”
“To Kimberly and the children, we are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion,” Holmes concluded in her moving note.
Holmes Supports Van Der Beek Following ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Reunion
GettyHolmes, along with Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps all appeared in the one-night-only charity event on September 22, 2025.
Van Der Beek was notably absent due to an illness. The reunion at Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City featured a live reading of the show’s pilot episode to raise awareness for the charity “F Cancer” and to show support for Van Der Beek.
“I can’t believe I’m not there,” Van Der Beek said in a prerecorded message played on stage at the event. “I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my castmates, my beautiful cast, in person, and I just wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight — from the cast to the crew to everybody who donated their time and has been so generous. And especially every single last one of you. You’re the best fans in the world. Thank you for coming.”
Following the reunion, Holmes showed her love and support for Van Der Beek in an Instagram post from September 23.
“I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me. For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond. James, Josh, Michelle… from April 1997—- I love you. James, you got this. We got you. To everyone who supported us from the beginning and who continue to support James and his beautiful family, we thank you. Thank you for last night. ❤️”
Van Der Beek commented, “Love you! Thank you for being you ❤️”
Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, also commented on Holmes’ post, “You all are a magical, incredible bunch. Thank you for the love and check-in’s for our guy. 🥹”
