James Van Der Beek’s longtime friend Mehcad Brooks has given an inside look at how the late actor handled his death in his final days.
“One of the greatest honors in my life, I got to be there [the] four to five days, every day, and hold his hand, and pray with him, and tell him jokes, and tell him how much I love him, and sing to him,” the “A Fall from Grace” star said in an Instagram video on Wednesday.
“Look at this man, he handles death like a king. He handles change like a king,” Brooks, 45, added.
The former “Law & Order” alum said Van Der Beek’s death is a reminder to “live your life, do the things that make you happy.”
“Don’t worry about other people’s opinions — it won’t be a problem,” she said. “All that–what you’re worried about right now doesn’t matter.
“We all know that. Sometimes we need a reminder,” added Brooks.
“I love you very much brother, hold your family tight, hug the people you love the most.
Brooks captioned his video message: “RIP brother King. @vanderjames.”
Van Der Beek died on Wednesday after a battle with colonic cancer. He was 48 years old.
In a heartbreaking statement on Instagram, the “Varsity Blues” star’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, said James “passed peacefully.”
“She met her last days with courage, faith and grace,” he wrote.
“There’s a lot we can talk about about his ambitions, love for humanity and the sanctity of time. Those days will come,” added Kimberly. “For now we ask that we be alone in peace as we grieve for our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Friends of James have created a GoFundMe to help Kimberly, who shared six children with James, and his family with expenses after his death.
As of this publication, the fundraiser has raised more than $1.2 million.
Last year, James, who has been battling Stage 3 cancer since August 2023, sold his “Dawson’s Creek” memorabilia to fund his cancer treatment.
