Content Advisory: This article discusses cancer, death, and family grief. Reader discretion is advised.
Kimberly Van Der Beek is still trying to find words for the loss of James Van Der Beek.
Three months after the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star died at age 48, Kimberly shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, posting nine photos of James with their six children. The post marked a painful milestone for the family, who have been grieving privately while receiving support from fans.
James died on February 11 after years of battling stage 3 colorectal cancer. He had received his diagnosis in 2023 but did not share the news publicly until November 2024.
Kimberly Says The Shock Has Worn Off
Kimberly opened her tribute with a raw admission. “Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames. To say I’m heartbroken is a severe understatement,” she wrote.
She explained that grief has changed as time has passed. The first wave of shock, she said, has faded, leaving the reality of his absence behind. “Words just don’t capture what grief is,” Kimberly continued. “The comforts of shock have worn off. The reality is settling in… and I miss him.” Then she added the line that hit hardest. “We all miss him.”
Kimberly Says She Still Feels James Near
Kimberly also described a deeper spiritual connection since James’ death.
“Yet, there is a different kind of magic in the air. I feel him. I know him more deeply,” she wrote. “My conscious connection to God has deepened.”
She said the experience has changed the way she sees life, loss, and her family’s path forward. “The veils of the universe have thinned,” Kimberly wrote. “And I trust that this is the path me and my family have always been intended to walk.”
When James died, Kimberly announced that he had “passed peacefully” and faced his final days with “courage, faith, and grace.”
Family Receives Support After James’ Death
Since his passing, fans and friends have continued to honor James and rally around Kimberly and their children.
Kimberly acknowledged that support in her latest tribute, saying it has helped carry the family through an impossible time. “The outpouring of support has been tremendous,” she wrote. “It’s held our family in the most beautiful of ways.” She added, “You all went absolutely above and beyond anything I could have ever expected in supporting us and honoring James. I am deeply grateful.”
Kimberly also suggested she may share more when she is ready. “There is so much more to share here,” she wrote. “And in time, I will.”
For now, her message is simple and devastating: the shock is gone, the grief is real, and James is deeply missed.
