James Van Der Beek has been candid about his health ups and downs since announcing he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2024.
“Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the Dawson’s Creek alum shared in an Instagram post at the time, noting that he was “in a good place and feeling strong” while undergoing treatment.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer starts in the colon or rectum and can be referred to as colon or rectal cancer depending on where the disease forms.
Van Der Beek opened up further about his diagnosis in a November 2024 interview with People. “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told the outlet, noting that his cancer was already at stage 3. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
James Van Der Beek is focused on his recovery after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. “I’m very cautiously optimistic. I’m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great,” Van Der Beek, 47, told People in an interview published on Friday, November 8. “When I’ve been out of the woods completely for […]
Van Der Beek shares six kids — Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3 — with his wife, Kimberly, whom he wed in 2010.
Scroll down to see what else Van Der Beek has said about his cancer journey:
Getting Diagnosed
In a November 2024 video interview with People, Van Der Beek recalled undergoing a colonoscopy in the summer of 2023 after noticing some health changes. “As I was coming out of the haze, the gastroenterologist said in his most pleasant bedside manner, ‘It is cancer,’” he shared. “And I think I went into shock a little bit.”
Van Der Beek compared having cancer to having a “full-time job,” from scheduling appointments, keeping track of test results and dealing with insurance. Shortly after his colonoscopy, the actor learned his cancer was “localized” but it was stage 3.
“I really didn’t feel like this was gonna end me. I really felt like, ‘This is gonna be the biggest life redirect. I’m gonna make changes that I never would have made otherwise that I’m gonna look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, ‘Thank God that happened,’” he said. “And that’s how I was about 90 percent of the time. And then, 10 percent of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess.”
Courtesy of James Van Der Beeks/Instagram
Family First
“My kids have been so supportive and so loving and so tender,” Van Der Beek said in his November 2024 People video interview. “And you hate to watch them have to grow up in that way but you watch them really put you first, which, as a father, is, like, heartwarming and also devastating.”
Van Der Beek noted that although his kids are “scared” for his health, his diagnosis has also become “a real opportunity for connection, to be there with them and really dig in deep and ask them to express their thoughts, their fears [and] their concerns.”
He went on to joke, “I’ve asked every doctor I’ve had, ‘What are the odds — and you be straight with me — that I can get my kids to stop calling it butt cancer?’ And I will say, the prognosis is never good on that one.”
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images for Operation Smile) James Van Der Beek has broken his silence after announcing his diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Van Der Beek, 47, shared a slideshow via Instagram on Saturday, November 3, which featured several photos of the Dawson’s Creek alum set to Richard La Forge’s song “Autumn Breeze.” Van Der […]
High Hopes
In his People interview, Van Der Beek told the outlet he’s “cautiously optimistic” about his cancer recovery. “When I’ve been out of the woods completely for what feels like a responsible amount of time, I’ll circle back and let you know,” he said. “I have a lot to live for.”
He also noted that his diagnosis gave him newfound body awareness. “If you’ve heard about it, I’ve probably touched on it,” he stated. “This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit. I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’”
Courtesy of James Van Der Beeks/Instagram
Partner in Crime
While reflecting on his “tough year” in a November 2024 Instagram post, Van Der Beek gushed about the support he’s received from Kimberly. “I’m more grateful than ever to my super human wife who has shown up on levels I never knew possible,” he wrote alongside a sweet family photo. “Who has shown me what unconditional love is and the magic that comes from that. I am in awe of you, @vanderkimberly.”
That same month, Van Der Beek told People he could not “get through this” without his wife. “And as much as it sucked to be me in this past year … there’s not a moment that I would ever have wanted to trade with her and have it be her watching me go through that. She is extraordinary.”
Raising Funds
Van Der Beek sold limited editions of his Varsity Blues jersey to raise funds for families dealing with cancer. “100% of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own 😇),” he captioned the since-deleted November 2024 Instagram post.
Kimberly Van Der Beek is there for husband James Van Der Beek following his cancer diagnosis. “I love you baby 🤍,” Kimberly, 42, wrote in the comments section of the actor’s lengthy Instagram message regarding his health, which he shared Sunday, November 3. James, 47, uploaded a slideshow of pensive photos set to the song […]
Spreading Awareness
Van Der Beek was one of several stars who stripped down to raise money for cancer testing and research during Fox’s December 2024 The Real Full Monty special. “I learned just how much I really value a good group to not go through something on your own,” he exclusively told Us Weekly of working on the project. “I used to be pretty solitary and just not ask for help. And being a part of this group really made me realize just how important that is and how much I appreciated it.”
He also highlighted the importance of getting tested and having conversations about your health with a doctor. “Whatever stigma that you might exist around it is nothing compared to what could happen if you don’t get tested. So get out and do it,” Van Der Beek told Us.
Emotional Toll
Van Der Beek shared that his physical health was “really good” during a December 2024 appearance on Good Morning America, but revealed his mental health took a hit. “Emotionally, you know, it’s a lot. It’s really a ride,” he said on the ABC morning show.
Noting that he was “in shock” after getting his diagnosis, he continued, “I had a whole agenda for what I thought my year would be and what I thought my priorities would be … and the reality that all of that was going to change and take a different trajectory — it felt like a nightmare, honestly, at first.”
Courtesy of James Van Der Beeks/Instagram
Fatherly Love
Van Der Beek praised his father, James, for being a support system throughout his cancer journey while wishing his dad Happy Birthday via Instagram in January 2025. “The way you have shown up when I’ve been down and out this year — without us having to ask, without the expectation of even a thank you… has been not just life-saving, but life affirming,” he captioned his post. “Moving onto the ranch for when I’m away for treatment. Making lunches, making fires for @vanderkimberly, driving kids, even taking care of the dogs and chickens (neither of which you ever wanted and would just as soon never have had 🤣).”
He went on to state that he’s “blown away” by how his dad has “been there for me emotionally as I’ve moved through everything cancer brings up,” adding, “I know it’s outside your comfort zone, but especially since Mom died, you have come through for me again and again and again in ways that I didn’t even know how much I needed.” (Van Der Beek’s mother, Melinda, died at age 70 in July 2020.)
James Van Der Beek made his first red carpet appearance since announcing his stage III colorectal cancer battle. Van Der Beek, 47, stepped out at the premiere of Sidelined: The QB and Me in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 14. He sported a brown, checked suit with a persimmon-colored sweater underneath. The actor stars in […]
Close Call
Van Der Beek commemorated his 48th birthday in March 2025 by sharing what he’s learned from his cancer journey this far. “And then this year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I came nose to nose with death,” he said in an Instagram video. “All of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me. I was away for treatment so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them.”
The CSI: Cyber alum said he was “faced with the question that if I was just here to be a too-skinny, weak guy, alone, in an apartment with cancer, what am I?” Luckily, he found solace in self-love. “I meditated and the answer came through. I am worthy of God’s love, simply because I exist. And if I’m worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I be worthy of my own?” he told fans.
