James Van Der Beek Celebrated How Community 'Showed Up' for Him After His Cancer Diagnosis: 'It Means the World' (Exclusive) Bailey Richards, Gillian TellingFebruary 12, 2026 at 3:53 AM 0 James Van Der Beek for his November 2024 PEOPLE cover story Peter Yang James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 less than two years after announcing his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis Van Der Beek previously opened up about how his community supported him following the cancer diagnosis in a November 2024 PEOPLE cover story "The way friends showed up was a really beautiful experience that I never would've had o...
- - James Van Der Beek Celebrated How Community 'Showed Up' for Him After His Cancer Diagnosis: 'It Means the World' (Exclusive)
Bailey Richards, Gillian TellingFebruary 12, 2026 at 3:53 AM
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James Van Der Beek for his November 2024 PEOPLE cover story
Peter Yang
James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 less than two years after announcing his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis
Van Der Beek previously opened up about how his community supported him following the cancer diagnosis in a November 2024 PEOPLE cover story
"The way friends showed up was a really beautiful experience that I never would've had otherwise," said Van Der Beek, who was previously "always the one helping everybody"
James Van Der Beek was "always the one helping everybody" until his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis.
The late actor died at age 48 on Wednesday, Feb. 11, less than two years after sharing his cancer diagnosis with the world in November 2024. In a PEOPLE cover story shortly after announcing that he had been "privately dealing" with the disease since 2023, Van Der Beek opened up about the unexpected in the wake of his diagnosis.
"It was amazing to see how people in my life showed up — and listen, I'm never the person who ever asked for any help ever," he said through tears at the time. "I was always the one helping everybody. And I just thought that was a fine way to be until cancer, and then I had to ask for help."
And help didn't just come for the self-described "empath" and "provider" — it came in droves.
James Van Der Beek's November 2024 PEOPLE cover
Peter Yang
"The way friends showed up was a really beautiful experience that I never would've had otherwise," the Dawson's Creek alum told PEOPLE. "To see just how much people cared about me and were willing to go the extra mile — again, just because I'd never really asked anyone for help."
"It just wasn't in my DNA," he added, "and now it is."
Reflecting on the lows that followed shortly after his diagnosis, which came after the cancer was discovered during a routine colonoscopy in August 2023, Van Der Beek said "telling people" was the difficult part. "Telling people required a lot of energy."
But the support that followed the "hard" task of opening up about his diagnosis didn't just mean a lot — it meant "the world," Van Der Beek told PEOPLE.
James Van Der Beek in the hospital
Courtesy James Van Der Beek
Before his cancer diagnosis, the actor said, "Whenever anybody would come to me with a diagnosis or a tragedy, I always felt it was so inadequate to say, 'Well, I'm praying for you. You're in my thoughts and my condolences. How can I support?' "
"I always just felt like that wasn't enough. But having been in this position, it's absolutely enough," Van Der Beek continued. "You're not looking to anybody to solve it for you. You're not looking to anybody to help you bypass the pain because you're going to go through that anyway. But when people offer words of support and just tell me they're thinking about me or tell me they're praying for me, it means the world."
"It really is enough," he told PEOPLE. "So for anybody out there who's feeling inadequate, when they just say, 'I'm so sorry,' and they don't have words, that's okay. I don't expect anybody to have the words to make this okay."
The actor then specifically shouted out to his loved ones who "were able to sit with my pain and sit with my discomfort and not immediately try to solve it or rationalize it, but to just accept it and be there with me."
"That's been the biggest help," he added.
James Van Der Beek with his family for his November 2024 PEOPLE cover story
Peter Yang
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Van Der Beek's wife, Kimberly, announced the news of his death on Instagram on Feb. 11.
"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," she wrote. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."
The actor is survived by Kimberly and their six children: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9½, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: February 12, 2026 at 12:36AM on Source: RED MAG
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