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James Van Der Beeks Heartfelt Final Post

James Van Der Beek honored his beloved daughter in his final social media post just two weeks before his death from cancer at 48.The Dawson's Creek legend passe...

Bintano News

February 11, 2026

honored his beloved daughter in his final social media post just two weeks from at 48.

The Dawson's Creek legend passed away following a two-year battle with colorectal cancer on Wednesday.

Van Der Beek, who is survived by six children and wife Kimberly, shared a poignant photograph with daughter Annabel, 12, and dad Jim on their birthdays on January 25..

A frail Van Der Beek, clad in a woolen hat and looking noticeably thin, embraced his daughter in the snap, which was captioned: 'My father and my daughter share a birthday today. At first, I thought that was all they shared - they seemed so different to me.

'But as the two of you have evolved, and let more of who you are shine through, I can recognize the same open, warm, loving, gentle heart. I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most.

'I see the same out-of-the-box Aquarian creativity and originality. And you both make every room you’re in more fun. Different senses of humor, but you both have a way of alchemizing the vibe around you in such a subtle way one can almost miss how powerfully you do this.

James Van Der Beek honored his beloved daughter in his final social media post just two weeks before his death from cancer at 48

Van Der Beek, is survived by six children and wife Kimberly

'In this crazy world, it’s a wonder to me that you’ve managed to stay so open, so tender, and so genuinely good.

'You are marvels… and I’m so insanely grateful to have you in my life.

'The world is a better place because the two of you are in it.

'Happy birthday, guys. I love you with all my heart.'

His family shared a heartbreaking post about his passing on Wednesday. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lucy Hale, Christie Brinkley and Rumer Willis all hit the like button within minutes

On the show, Katie portrayed Dawson's childhood love, Joey Potter, while Joshua played their other friend and Joey's true love, Pacey Witter. Michelle completed the core group as the rebellious Jen Lindley.

In his early days, Van Der Beek wasn't prepared for the level of fame that came with playing the lead role in the high school drama.

'Getting recognized is something that took me a long time... I had a big learning curve on it,' he told People in 2024.

'It was a different interaction back then. Now, it's a lot more grown-up, and back then, I was so tortured about it because I loved being an observer and a fly on the wall and having random conversations with people.

'I remember being so broken up about the fact that those random conversations or random acts of kindness were now taken away because there was this thing called "celebrity" in between me and somebody else, and it became the center of attention.'

Van Der Beek revealed his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024; Pictured with his wife and kids in an Instagram snap

One of his last red carpet appearances was at the Los Angeles premiere of the series Overcompensating at Hollywood Palladium on May 14, 2025

Despite having to overcome dealing with global fame, Van Der Beek ultimately treasured his time on Dawson's Creek.

In recent years too, he very much delighted in reconnecting with his former cast mates, and in August 2025, it was announced that he and the cast would be reuniting for a live reading of the show's pilot episode.

The celebration was a one-night-only charity event to raise money for the nonprofit F Cancer and for Van Der Beek amid his cancer journey.

Days before the event was due to take place, however, Van Der Beek was devastated to announce that he had to pull out of the appearance due to illness.

Expressing his disappointment in a pre-recorded video which played on the night, he told fans: 'I have been looking forward to this night for months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together.

What is colorectal cancer?

Colon cancer is a growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The colon is the first and longest part of the large intestine. The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. The digestive system breaks down food for the body to use.

Colon cancer typically affects older adults, though it can happen at any age. It usually begins as small clumps of cells called polyps that form inside the colon. Polyps generally aren't cancerous, but some can turn into colon cancers over time.

Polyps often don't cause symptoms. For this reason, doctors recommend regular screening tests to look for polyps in the colon. Finding and removing polyps helps prevent colon cancer.

If colon cancer develops, many treatments can help control it. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and medicines, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Colon cancer is sometimes called colorectal cancer. This term combines colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum.

Many people with colon cancer don't have symptoms at first. When symptoms appear, they'll likely depend on the cancer's size and where it is in the large intestine.

Symptoms of colon cancer can include: A change in bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, ongoing discomfort in the belly area, such as cramps, gas or pain, a feeling that the bowel doesn't empty all the way during a bowel movement, weakness or tiredness, osing weight without trying.

James Van Der Beeks Heartfelt Final Post

What is colorectal cancer?

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