Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek reveals cancer diagnosis in heartfelt statement
Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek, 47, has revealed he has cancer in an emotional statement. James told People Magazine: "I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."
Fans have rushed to James' social media to give him their well wishes. One wrote: "Wishing you a speedy recovery and love to you and your family, hoping you are getting all the support you need. You can get through this". Another added: "I always loved Dawsons please get well soon prayers for you and your family".
James has continued to work despite his cancer diagnosis, and has appeared in a recent episode of Walker and a new film for Tubi called Sidelined: The QB and Me, which will be released on Friday 29 November. It's been said that James is also prioritising time with his large family, having had six children with wife Kimberly, who he married in 2010. After the birth of sixth child, James revealed they had previously suffered a number of miscarriages before their son's safe arrival.
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James, Kimberly and their children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah took a memorable trip to Egypt in June of this year which James shared on social media. Posting their holiday snaps on Instagram, James wrote: "#Egypt… With all my vocabulary, 'Wow' is what fell out of my mouth most of the time. We were gifted a magical experience, one I’m still processing - and might be for the rest of my life. The kids were rock stars, my friends became brothers, and despite all the travel and time zone crossing and early-morning alarms, I feel recharged."
James rose to fame as the character Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek, which ran for six seasons from 1998 until 2003. The teen drama made household names of its stars which also included Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams.
Since Dawson's Creek ended 20 years ago, James has continued to appear in popular TV shows including Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, CSI: Cyber and Pose. James also took part in Dancing with the Stars in 2019 where he was partnered with Emma Slater and reached the semi-finals.
James will also set to appear in The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special where a group of male celebrities will strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research. The Real Full Monty is set to air on Monday 9 December.
