Dawson’s Creek Icon James Van Der Beek Dead At 48

Really sad news to report tonight as James Van Der Beek, best known for playing Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48, three years after a cancer diagnosis.

His family confirmed he ‘passed away peacefully’ this morning:

Van Der Beek revealed he was battling stage 3 colorectal cancer in late 2024, and did a bunch of things to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research since then.

The actor make it big in the 90’s with Dawson’s Creek, but was also known for roles in Scary Movie, Varsity Blues, How I Met Your Mother, and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.

I just read that in his final days, Van Der Beek was selling off memorabilia to pay for cancer treatment, which is pretty shocking to be fair. How f—ed up is America’s healthcare system for this to be the case?

It must have been a dire situation for him to sell off his merch before passing, as it would undoubtedly have been worth more following his death. Although I suppose you don’t want your family to be stuck paying the medical bills after you’re gone either.

Fellow 90s star Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a tribute to Van Der Beek, saying she was ‘so sad’ for his ‘beautiful family’.

The Buffy star wrote: ‘While James legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F**k Cancer.’

Indeed. RIP James Van Der Beek and thoughts with his wife Kimberley, their 6 kids, and the rest of their family and friends.