Kimberly Van Der Beek said James was 'bouncing back' months before his death

In November, Kimberly Van Der Beek gave an optimistic update on James's cancer battle, saying he was 'bouncing back' from a stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis. She left the comment on his Instagram after he thanked fans for raising money for his treatments. The post showed James tossing a football while wearing his 'Varsity Blues' jersey with his character's name, Moxon, on the back.

He had been selling signed and unsigned 'Varsity Blues' jerseys and 'Dawson's Creek' merchandise to raise funds, and made $47K from the sales. James died on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at age 48. Kimberly announced his passing on Instagram, writing that their 'beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,' that he 'met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,' and asking for 'peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.' He had announced his cancer diagnosis in November 2024, saying he received it in August 2023 and had been battling the disease since then.

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