James Van Der Beek has been remembered in public for the first time by one of his closest ‘Dawson’s Creek’ co-stars.
Katie Holmes has become the first surviving member of Dawson’s Creek’s lead quartet to publicly share her reaction to the death of her co-star and friend at the age of 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
Van Der Beek died after a years-long battle with the nasty disease, one that has left his family “out of funds,” according to a fundraising page. He publicly revealed his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2023 after undergoing treatment privately, and shared news of his condition in November 2024.
Holmes, who played Van Der Beek’s love interest on the show, wrote on Instagram: “I formed some words with a heavy heart. This is a lot to process. I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James’ journey. He is beloved.”
She also posted a handwritten thank-you note addressed to her former co-star.
“To share space with your imagination is sacred,” she wrote. “Breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s 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.
“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.”
Holmes and series creator Kevin Williamson both expressed support for Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, and their children.
Williamson said he had struggled to find the words to mark the loss.
“Several times today, from my heart, I’ve tried to form the words to express the beautiful brilliance of James and what his presence has meant to my life. But I am truly at a loss for words,” he wrote on Instagram alongside images of the two over the years. “I will have to trust that one day those words will come…”
Van Der Beek’s final public appearance came during a December interview on the Today show, where he said he was still undergoing treatment and “trying a bunch of stuff.” He described managing the disease as a “full-time job,” though he did not disclose specific details about his treatment.
The actor, who rose to fame as the earnest Dawson Leery, leaves behind his wife and six children.
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