HEALTHJames Van Der Beek Reveals Why He Was Forced to Share His Cancer Diagnosis Early: 'I'd Planned on Talking About It at Length'
James Van Der Beek revealed why he was forced to share his colorectal cancer diagnosis early.
James Van Der Beek recently opened up about why he felt forced to reveal his cancer diagnosis sooner than planned.
Just after the Dawson’s Creek alum shared news of his colorectal cancer through a news outlet on Sunday, November 2, he took to Instagram to explain why the announcement came out earlier than anticipated.
James Van Der Beek is known for his roles in TV series, including 'Dawson's Creek' and 'Varsity Blues.'
"Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them. There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," he wrote alongside a video montage. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news."
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” he continued. “I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”
James Van Der Beek has been married to Kimberly Van Der Beek since 2010.
Van Der Beek expressed regret that his family and friends had to find out about his condition this way.
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself,” the Dancing With the Stars alum wrote.
“Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention,” he added.
The One Tree Hill star is thankful to those who messaged him since the news emerged.
“Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support,” he concluded. “More to come…”
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The actor has six children.
As OK! previously reported, Van Der Beek disclosed that he had been secretly facing a life-threatening illness, sharing the news through a statement to the press.
"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,” he said. "There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."
Despite recent health struggles, the actor has kept his schedule full.
He made a recent cameo on the CW series Walker and will star in Sidelined: The QB and Me, set for release on November 29.
Balancing his career with family life, Van Der Beek, who shares six children — Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6 and 2-year-old Jeremiah — with his wife, Kimberly, recently shared a heartwarming Halloween update featuring his family’s costumes.
He recently posted his sixth kid, Gwendolyn, on Instagram.
“I made all my own costumes growing up. Didn’t really have a choice. But I loved it. Should probably have been the first warning sign to my parents that I would end up an actor,” he wrote in the caption.
In a touching moment, he described his 6-year-old’s dedication to crafting her own halo after a last-minute delivery delay.
“After acknowledging the tears, she was given the project of making her own halo, which she worked on for HOURS - wrapping yellow yarn around some garden wire. Focused in a way might not have believed possible,” he added.
For Van Der Beek, “the look of pride on her face upon seeing the final project in the mirror” was the highlight of his Halloween.
People obtained the statement from Van Der Beek.
