'It just kind of happened,' said a teenage Katie Holmes of her bond with James Van Der Beek on Dawson's Creek back in 1997. 'We have a lot in common. The chemistry was there.'
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The feeling was shared by a then 20-year-old Van Der Beek who claimed they 'just kind of clicked from the read through,' telling E! News: 'We got really lucky I think because we met each other like two days before we started shooting.'
It was this chemistry that adhered fans to the two young stars who would weeks later hit screens as film buff Dawson Leery and his love interest, girl next door Joey Potter, on the popular teen drama which ran from 1998 until 2003.
Having spent their formative years together in the spotlight, it is perhaps no surprise that their bond would survive decades, until Van Der Beek's death at age 48 earlier this month.
But what fans might not know was just how close the actors once were.
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Insiders have exclusively told the Daily Mail that the pair briefly dated in secret on set before Holmes went on to date their costar Joshua Jackson, who also played Holmes' onscreen love interest Pacey Witter.
The late James Van Der Beek developed a decades long bond with his co-star Katie Holmes after they shot to fame on the set of Dawson's Creek
The two young actors starred together on the WB show from 1998 to 2003, where Holmes played his love interest, girl next door Joey Potter while Van Der Beek starred as Dawson Leery
One insider said Holmes, 47, has told close friends that Van Der Beek was her 'teen love.'
'James and Katie dated for a bit,' they said. 'They tried to keep their relationship secret but everyone on the set knew about it. Then news of them being a couple began to filter out.'
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Holmes grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and was raised in a close-knit family before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, after high school to film Dawson's Creek. It was an overnight success and quickly became the top-rated show among teenage girls, averaging six million viewers during its run.
The response was overwhelming for the youngsters who 'suddenly found themselves the stars of one of TV's hottest shows,' and as a result decided to keep tight-lipped about their romance.
'Katie was a shy 19-year-old and James was just into his twenties,' the insider continued. 'They didn't want to talk about their love lives in public, so they decided to keep quiet about it.'
After the show ended, they parted ways and led incredibly different lives. Holmes went on to marry Tom Cruise in a lavish ceremony in November 2006, only to file for divorce nearly six years later. Holmes was granted full custody of their now 19-year-old daughter Suri Noelle (formerly Cruise).
Van Der Beek married Heather McComb the year the show ended in 2003, before they called it quits in 2010. He then married film producer Kimberly Van Der Beek, 44, with whom he has six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and four-year-old Jeremiah.
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The Varsity Blues actor and his wife fled Los Angeles for a quiet life in Texas following a string of family tragedies. Van Der Beek lost his mother Melinda Weber in July 2020, and Kimberly experienced multiple miscarriages, including two late-term. The actor was extremely close to his family, who even accompanied him on set when he was filming what would be his final role in upcoming horror movie The Gates.
The insider said that despite going on 'to have very different lives,' Holmes 'admitted there would always be a strong bond between them. Especially for her as he was her teen love.'
Insiders have exclusively told the Daily Mail that the pair (pictured in 2011) secretly briefly dated on set before Holmes, 47, went on to date their costar Joshua Jackson
'The set was high school for the cast. Everyone had crushes on each other, and everyone at one point or another would date and hookup,' said a second insider. 'Katie and James had a brief fling with each other.
'Everyone loved James both as a friend and a love interest, and James and Katie definitely had a brief moment with each other but realized very fast, they were better off as friends. And that was totally cool with them, they never made it an issue whatsoever.'
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And friends they stayed, with Holmes among those left devastated by his death from colorectal cancer on February 11.
She paid an emotional tribute on Instagram, detailing their 'memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs - adventures of a unique youth,' in a handwritten note.
'I formed some words with a heavy heart,' she captioned the post in which she also sent her support to Van Der Beek's wife. '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.'
While they maintained strong ties, they did not get to see each other when the entire cast of Dawson's Creek reunited for a script reading, which took place on September 22, 2025, in New York City, something that 'upset' Holmes.
'Katie was upset she didn't get to see James when the cast got together in New York last September for a special reading of the pilot episode,' said our first insider.
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The charity event benefited F Cancer and was organized to support Van Der Beek following his 2024 diagnosis. While Van Der Beek was expected to attend, he pulled out last minute, citing a stomach virus. Instead, he sent along a video message and Lin-Manuel Miranda played his role.
'James and Katie definitely had a brief moment with each other but realized very fast, they were better off as friends,' said one insider. 'And that was totally cool with them, they never made it an issue whatsoever'
The cast of Dawson's Creek reunited in 2025 for a reading of the Dawson's Creek pilot to raise money for charity and Holmes was left 'upset' when Van Der Beek was forced to pull out
Van Der Beek appeared via video at the event for F Cancer because of a stomach virus. Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to play Dawson Leery
His daughters also performed a sweet surprise solo tribute as they joined the rest of the cast's theme song singalong onstage during the emotional reunion.
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Holmes honored Van Der Beek on Instagram after the event, sharing a video clip and writing: '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 replied: 'Love you! Thank you for being you.'