Actor James Van Der Beek, widely recognised for his lead role in the American teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died at the age of 48 following a battle with bowel cancer.
In a statement shared on his social media accounts, his family said, “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He faced his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”
He was diagnosed with the illness in the second half of 2023 but chose to make the news public in November 2024.
A father of six, Van Der Beek appeared in several well-known television shows and films during the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the cult favorite Dawson’s Creek and the sports drama Varsity Blues.
In an interview with Business Insider, he shared that he initially noticed changes in his bowel habits — a common warning sign of bowel cancer. He tried cutting out coffee to see if it would improve his symptoms before eventually undergoing a screening test. The test revealed stage three cancer, meaning it had spread to nearby lymph nodes.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, colorectal cancer begins as abnormal growths in the inner lining of the colon and can spread if left untreated. The disease affects more men than women, but increased screening has improved early detection and reduced death rates.
Van Der Beek described one of the most difficult moments of his treatment as feeling that he was losing key parts of his identity.
“All these beautiful things that I loved and defined myself by — being a father, a provider, a husband — were taken away, or at least put on hold,” he said. “I had to ask myself, ‘Who am I now?’ And the answer was, ‘I am still worthy of love.’”
After his diagnosis, he became an advocate for cancer screening and awareness.
“I’ve learned so much,” he said. “If sharing my experience can help spare even one person from going through this, that would mean everything.”
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