James Van Der Beek heartfelt words about his family came out next Dawson’s Creek the death of the star at the age of 48.
The actor revealed that his children felt complete behind him and his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek welcomed their sixth child, Jeremiah, in October 2021.
“He was truly a blessing,” said the actor People in an interview that took place in November 2022, but was published on Friday, February 13, after his death.
I mean, this is going to sound weird, but when he came, we just thought, ‘Oh my God, how did we do without him?’ Which is crazy because we had five kids before that,” James, who died on Wednesday, February 11, after battling stage III colorectal cancer, told the outlet at the time.
He added, “But if we look at everything we went through leading up to him, the fact that he was a boy felt very healing to us.”
In addition to Jeremiah, James and Kimberly share Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, and Gwendolyn, 7. The couple also suffered pregnancy losses in 2019 and 2020 before welcoming “rainbow baby” Jeremiah.
“He strengthens the family in a really good way. The girls lust after him. He’s like a brother to my son. And yes, he’s just a magical happy little boy who gets everything he wants,” James continued. “And I’m not afraid to look for it.”
James Van Der Beek and son Jeremiah.
(Photo courtesy of James Van Der Beek/Instagram.)James often talked about how important his family was to him. To mark his 48th birthday in March 2025, i The Varsity Blues the star revealed about dealing with her mortality since her cancer diagnosis and how her health journey has affected her family.
Describing the past 12 months as “the hardest year of my life,” James said cancer had affected his outlook.
“When I was young I defined myself as an actor, which never really came true. Then I became a husband and that was much better. Then I became a father and that was the end,” he explained, adding that he saw himself as “a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband, father, breadwinner, manager of the world.”
When he was unable to fulfill some of those roles due to his illness, James said he began to question his purpose.
“Then this year, I had to look my death in the eye. “All those meanings that I cared about so much were taken away from me. I was not there for treatment so I could no longer be a helpful husband to my wife. I was no longer a father who could pick up his children and put them to bed and take care of them.”
James ended the video by discussing his conclusion that he still deserved to love himself despite the changing circumstances of his life.
In November 2025, James reflected on his “tough year” and expressed his gratitude to his wife, children and loved ones for their unwavering support throughout his difficult health journey.
“Thankful more than ever to my great wife who has shown up on levels I’ve never known. Who showed me what unconditional love is and the magic that comes from that. I’m in awe of you, @vanderkimberly,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.
Turning his attention to the couple’s children, Van Der Beek continued, “Also, thank you very much [for] the little army of white heart that keeps me alive, active, and inspired by being you. I love you more than you.”
