View gallery
Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek died on February 11, 2026. He was 48 years previous and had been battling most cancers within the final two years of his life. James is survived by his six youngstersall of whom he shared along with his spouse, Kimberly. Though he went public along with his analysis in 2024, many of the world was shocked by how a lot he’d bodily modified earlier than his loss of life.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek handed peacefully this morning,” an Instagram submit shared to James’ account learn. “He met his ultimate days with braveness, religion, and style. There’s a lot to share relating to his needs, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. These days will come. For now, we ask for peaceable privateness as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and pal.”
Beneath, study James’ ultimate days and the way he died.
What Occurred to James Van Der Beek?
James was identified with colorectal most cancers in August 2023, although he didn’t announce it till November 2024.
“Every year, roughly 2 billion folks around the globe obtain this analysis. And I’m certainly one of them,” James wrote in an Instagram submit on the time. “There’s no playbook for a way announce this stuff, however I’d deliberate on speaking about it at size with Folks journal at some point … to boost consciousness and inform my story alone phrases. However that plan needed to be altered early this morning once I was knowledgeable {that a} tabloid was going to run with the information.”
The late Varsity Blues actor famous that he’d “been coping with this privately till now, getting remedy and dialing in (his) total well being with larger focus than ever earlier than.”

“I’m in a superb place and feeling robust,” James added on the time. “It’s been fairly the initiation, and I’ll let you know extra once I’m prepared.
How Did James Van Der Beek Die? His Reason behind Demise
James died from his colorectal most cancers. In response to the Instagram announcement shared to his account on February 11, 2026, the Connecticut native “handed (away) peacefully.”
James Van Der Beek’s Most Well-known Films & TV Reveals
Followers, after all, acknowledge James for enjoying the position of Dawson Leery within the hit TV collection Dawson’s Creek.
Amongst his most notable movie credit are Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, The Guidelines of Attraction, Formosa Betrayed, Labor Day and Dangerous Hair.