James Van Der Beek remembered by widow on first wedding anniversary

Actor James Van Der Beek died on February 11, 2026 at age 48 after a three‑year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. His wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, marked what would have been their 16th wedding anniversary on August 1, 2026 with an Instagram tribute. She wrote, “16 years ago I was the luckiest woman in the world to marry @vanderjames,” and said the “beauty of this marriage continues to unfold every day with all these incredible children we have.”

Kimberly highlighted that James “continues to be present and guide us,” expressing “eternal gratitude.” The post featured photos of the couple, their six children—Olivia (15), Joshua (14), Annabel (12), Emilia (10), Gwendolyn (8) and Jeremiah (4)—and a group hug. The tribute drew an outpouring of support from fans and fellow actors.

James and Kimberly were married on August 1, 2010 at the Kabbalah Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was best known for his role as Dawson Leery on the teen drama *Dawson’s Creek* and had a posthumous appearance in the *Legally Blonde* spinoff series *Elle* before his death.