HEALTHCancer-Stricken James Van Der Beek Gushes Over His 'Superhuman' Wife as He Reflects on His 'Tough Year': 'More Grateful Than Ever'
James Van Der Beek penned a heartfelt tribute to his wife, Kimberly, amid his cancer battle.
James Van Der Beek cherishes his family more than ever as he navigates his cancer journey.
On November 28, a.k.a. Thanksgiving, the Varsity Blues star took to Instagram to give a shout-out to his wife, Kimberly, 42, who has been by his side since his Stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2023.
"It’s been a tough year…" he began.
“I’m more grateful than ever to my superhuman wife who has shown up on levels I never knew possible. Who has shown me what unconditional love is and the magic that comes from that? I am in awe of you, @vanderkimberly,” Van Der Beek, who was recently spotted on the red carpet of the Sidelined: The QB and Me premiere earlier this month, penned.
The couple tied the knot in 2010.
The Dawson’s Creek alum also paid tribute to their six children — Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.
“And of course, I’m beyond thankful for the little blond army of hearts who keep me present, active, and inspired just by being themselves. I love you guys beyond,” he shared.
Despite the challenges, Van Der Beek is remaining positive.
“I’m thankful for all of it. For the giant life, re-direct cancer has placed in my path. For the gift of knowing what it feels like to have friends come through on such a profound level, and in ways I never would have been able to ask for had I not been going through it,” he shared.
“I’m grateful for this new relationship I have to my body, and what I feed it,” the patriarch continued.
James Van Der Beek revealed his condition in early November.
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Weeks prior, Van Der Beek opened up about his cancer battle for the first time.
"That's one of the reasons I want to talk about it and the reason I'm talking about it so openly," the Mrs. Miracle alum said to People, noting that his diagnosis came as a shock given his active, healthy lifestyle.
"I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly," he added.
According to the World Health Organization, colorectal cancer affects the colon or rectum and is one of the most common cancers worldwide. While it primarily affects those over 50, James never expected to face it at 47 years old.
The duo, who live on a ranch in Texas, share six children.
The star first dismissed his symptoms, chalking it up to going through some dietary issues.
“I’d always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy — or as far as I knew it at the time,” he said.
“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee,” he recalled. “Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out.’”
The 'Dawson's Creek' alum was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023.
When he received the bad news, he was at a loss for words.
“I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I’d finally done it,” he recalled. “Then the gastroenterologist said — in his most pleasant bedside manner — that it was cancer. I think I went into shock.”
“The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer,” he added. “You think, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things. This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit. I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’”
Still, the dad-of-six is taking it one step at a time for now.
“I’m very cautiously optimistic. I’m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great. When I’ve been out of the woods completely for what feels like a responsible amount of time, I’ll circle back and let you know,” he shared.
