Within days, a GoFundMe fundraiser established for the family of actor James Van Der Beek raised more than $2.5 million, with donors leaving heartfelt notes about the “Dawson’s Creek” star.
Van Der Beek died Wednesday morning, leaving his wife, Kimberly, and six children – daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah. He was just 48 years old and had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024.
“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future,” the GoFundMe explained. “The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds.”
While many might assume that TV stars have considerable wealth, healthcare costs can hit any family hard as illness makes it difficult to work. Audacy reported last October on AP-NORC poll results that showed nearly 60% of Americans were extremely or very concerned about their healthcare costs increasing this year.
“Healthcare debt in the United States is a significant problem, affecting millions of Americans,” according to a study published last year in the Annals of Medicine & Surgery journal. That study also said that this debt “casts a long shadow, adversely affecting physical and mental well-being and increasing stress, anxiety, and depression.”
An analysis of government data published by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2024 estimated that people in the U.S. owed at least $220 billion in medical debt. Approximately 14 million people – that’s 6% of adults in the U.S. – owed more $1,000 in medical debt.
Van Der Beek, who has also starred in “Don’t Trust the B***h in Apt. 23”, “CSI: Cyber”, “Pose”, “Varsity Blues” and more in addition to the beloved teen drama “Dawson’s Creek”, met his wife in 2009 while on a trip to Israel. By 2010, they were married with a baby. In 2020, the family relocated from Los Angeles, Calif., to Texas. Kimberly has worked as a producer and as a podcast host, according to People magazine.
Last year, Van Der Beek shared this on Instagram for Valentine’s Day: “remember our first #valentinesday… waking up early in that apartment in New York to quietly dec it out with the cheap drugstore decorations I’d bought.”
He added: “All I wanted to do was take care of you. I never once thought there’d come a time when I’d need you to take care of me. But have you ever…I’d like to say I chose my Valentine wisely. But I didn’t have any choice - I was a goner from the moment you interrupted me mid-sentence telling a friend I was ready to meet the real deal.”
Just a few years after moving to Texas, Van Der Beek received his colorectal cancer diagnosis. Around the same time, Audacy reported on an explosion of cases among younger people. As of this year, it is still on the rise among millennials and Gen Zers, according to Yale Medicine.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer alone generated $24.3 billion in medical spending in 2020. It accounted for 11.6% of all cancer treatment costs.
“A recent study comparing the colon cancer treatment costs between insurance-based benefit schemes and care sources within the US Military Healthy Systems (MHS) highlighted that the median cost of colon cancer treatment was $60,321 regardless of the care scheme,” per the Colon Cancer Foundation.
In a post from last year, Van Der Beek praised his wife’s strength through his illness.
“One day I’ll tell the story of what you’ve endured these last two years and how you’ve shown up, time and time and time again,” he said. “You have not only saved my life… you’ve shown me what it is to live.”
Throughout Van Der Beek’s illness, his family “faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care,” said the GoFundMe established for his family. It went on to explain that they are trying to stay in their home “and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.”
In a Thursday update, the fundraiser organizers said that the kindness of the donors “has meant more than we can put into words.”
“In the middle of deep grief, your support has been a light,” the message said. “It reminds us that love is real, that community is strong, and that James’s spirit continues to bring people together.”