Love Stories: James Van Der Beek's chance meeting with an actress away from Hollywood changed his life forever

Throughout his brave journey with colorectal cancer, James Van Der Beek's greatest light was undoubtedly his family and his beloved wife, Kimberly.

It was confirmed on Thursday that the Dawson's Creek star, 48, had died after a long battle with the disease, in a post shared by Kimberly herself.

"He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," she wrote.

Indeed, their love story was certainly one for the ages.

While Van Der Beek was forced to miss a Dawson's Creek reunion held in his honour in 2025, his wife of 15 years, Kimberly, was there in the front row with the children, a final, poignant testament to the woman who remained his rock until the very end.

Instead, he surprised fans with a heartfelt video message that played during the New York event.

When the actor announced in 2024 he was battling cancer, she was one of the first people to comment publicly and has remained by his side as he navigates the challenges of the diagnosis.

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The producer and former actress, who has appeared in films including Teenage Paparazzo, Katie's Crib and Home Movie: The Princess Bride, has been by Van Der Beek's side ever since they met in Israel in 2009.

Since then, the couple married, welcomed six children together and moved from Los Angeles to Texas.

James Van Der Beek was born in the US state of Connecticut on March 8, 1977. He showed an interest in acting early, starring in a school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and by 15, had asked his mother to take him to New York City to get an agent.

His big break came in 1997 when he won the title role of Dawson Leery in the TV show Dawson's Creek, which ran for six seasons.

During a break from filming he starred in the 1999 hit film Varsity Rules, which won him an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance.

Van Der Beek became engaged to actress Heather McCune in 2003, and the two married in Malibu just months later. People confirmed they had separated in June 2009 after six years of marriage.

Van Der Beek was in Israel in 2009, shortly after separating from McCune, when he met Kimberly Brook.

In a 2020 Instagram post, Van Der Beek reflected on their first meeting.

"I'd been famous, been wealthy, been married, been divorced, been less-than-wealthy, been single... and I was in Israel, on a trip with an organised group, when it hit me: I was done being single," he wrote.

"I wanted a real relationship. A soul mate. Someone with whom I could build a family.

"I was mid-revelation, rattling all this off to a friend of mine when a voice interrupted us, wanting to ask him a question. I was annoyed. Who the hell was stepping all over my moment? I turned around... it was @vanderkimberly."

Van Der Beek continued, "Three days later, I asked her what she was looking for in a relationship. Her answer: 'I'm not looking for a relationship.'

"Six months later we were living together. Two weeks after that we were pregnant, and almost exactly one year to the date after she'd first interrupted me... we were married."

Wedding day

Van Der Beek and Kimberly's wedding was held in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 1, 2010.

In 2023, he took to Instagram to reveal details of their big day.

"[Thirteen] years ago today we were told that the guy who had come to you in a dream and had given you a wedding date could marry us – that night – in the basement of the Kabbalah Centre in Tel Aviv… on what happened to be the exact date he'd given you in the dream," he wrote.

"We rushed to get ready, had a bunch of people we didn't know (and a few we did) dance around us, got ambushed by Israeli paparazzi afterwards, then ate at an outdoor Lebanese dive with plastic tablecloths and chairs and amazing food… and we were off."

Family

Their first child, daughter Olivia, arrived just over a month later, on September 25, 2010.

They welcomed son, Joshua, just 18 months later, in March 2012, before daughter Annabel Leah arrived in January 2014.

Just two years later, daughter Emilia was born in March 2016, followed by another girl, Gwendolyn in June 2018.

Son Jeremiah was born in October 2021.

Stronger together through challenges

Kimberly suffered five miscarriages while trying to build their family, including two before the birth of their youngest son.

One of the miscarriages occurred in 2019 when she was 17 weeks pregnant, and Kimberly lost so much blood she was rushed to hospital where she was given blood transfusions.

She suffered another heartbreaking miscarriage the following year before welcoming Jeremiah.

The couple partnered with the American Red Cross in 2021 to raise awareness of blood donation.

"What saved my life was blood transfusions, people who donated blood. Without them, I probably would not be here," Kimberly told People at the time.

In 2020, the Van Der Beeks decided to take their kids to Austin, Texas, to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary when they started thinking about moving there.

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

"When we were flying here for our anniversary, I felt an energy to Austin. The energy was the same energy that I'd felt shooting Varsity Blues here when I was 21 and I realised that feeling wasn't just where I was in my career or the movie I was shooting... but that the energy is the place."

The family moved to a 36-acre (approx. 14.6 hectares) ranch near Austin that same year.

'Thank you for everything you are'

Van Der Beek and Kimberly continued to juggle the demands of raising a large family with their work; he as an actor – his last big role was a 31-episide stint on CSI: Cyber – while Kimberly co-hosts the Bathroom Chronicles podcast.

He regularly marked their wedding anniversaries with gushing tributes to his wife.

In 2023 he wrote, "I love you. I celebrate you. I honour you. Thank you for everything you are, and everything you bring out in the people lucky enough to be loved by you."

Then in August 2024, in a post to mark their 14th wedding anniversary, he said, "Thank you for being the most incredible partner. You've broken me open in spots I didn't even know were locked, and taught me how to receive more love than I thought possible.

"Thank you for your courage, your strength, your vulnerability and your tenderness. I'm thrilled and grateful to get to do this life with you. I love you beyond. Happy anniversary."

A private battle

Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 he had been diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer the previous year, when he was 46, telling People he was forced to go public after learning a media outlet was going to break the story.

But the signs something was not right were there in an Instagram post that August when he wrote, "Nothing could have prepared us for this past year..."

Van Der Beek said he first noticed a change in his bowel movements in the northern hemisphere summer of 2023 (Australia's winter).

After first cutting coffee and cream from his diet, he underwent a colonoscopy, which discovered the cancer. A stage three diagnosis meant the cancer had spread, although he chose not to speak about his prognosis or treatment.

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

He shared the People article on his Instagram page, leading to a message of support from his wife, who wrote, "I love you baby."

After his diagnosis, the actor was involved in a number of initiatives to advocate for cancer.

A month after he revealed his news, the Varsity Blues star signed up to appear on The Real Full Monty.

The two-hour special featured Van Der Beek alongside All American star Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Jones, and Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Toniolo, who stripped down on stage in an attempt to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.

He also sold off signed merchandise to raise money for his own and other families "recovering from the financial burden of cancer".

The actor's final months

Van Der Beek regularly posted how he was navigating the challenges of his cancer diagnosis and had been open about the experience.

When he was forced to pull out of his scheduled apearance at the Dawson's Creek reunion event in 2025, which was planned in his honour, Van Der Beek revealed he had fallen ill with "two stomach viruses".

"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," he said.

"Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin," he added in part.

While Van Der Beek wasn't there, his wife watched on from the audience. 

After the event, Kimberly thanked fans for supporting the event and for their support of her husband through his cancer battle in a video message to Instagram.

"This night was so special to the whole family… It was a beautiful night, and I miss my husband. I can't wait to go see him tomorrow."

On February 12, 2026, (AEST) Kimberly confirmed the sad news the actor had died.

"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," she wrote.

"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."

Van Der Beek was a father of six: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.

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