James Van Der Beek has apologized after some of his loved ones found out about his colorectal cancer diagnosis in the news.
The 47-year-old actor sent a message to his family and friends on his Instagram on Sunday (November 3), hours after he revealed his diagnosis to People, which he added he has been “dealing with privately.” While sharing a video montage of moments with him and his family, Van Der Beek explained that he didn’t expect his diagnosis to be announced so suddenly.
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline,” he wrote in the caption. “But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”
The Dawson’s Creek alum said he planned to discuss his cancer in a more detailed way, which didn’t end up happening.
“Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them. There’s no playbook for how announce these things [sic], but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms,” he wrote. “But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
Van Der Beek then reflected on how he’s been quietly managing his cancer and his road to recovery.
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” he added. “I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”
Many of the actor’s friends and family sent messages of support in the comments of his post.
“All my Iove always and forever partner,” Dancing with the Stars pro-Emma Slater, who competed on the show with Van Der Beek in 2020, wrote.
“Praying for you and your beautiful family, James. And I’m sorry you didn’t get to tell the world when you wanted to,” actor Yvette Nicole Brown added.
Van Derk Beek’s wife, Kimberly, added simply: “I love you baby.”
The Walker star and his wife have been married since 2010 and share six children: Oliva, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, eight, Gwendolyn, six, and Jeremiah, two.
In a statement to People, published on November 3, Van Der Beek first revealed his cancer diagnosis. “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he said. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
Colorectal cancer, often called colon cancer, can start in either the colon or the rectum,. The colon and rectum make up the large intestine, which is a part of the digestive system.
In December, Van Der Beek is scheduled to appear in the charity special The Real Full Monty. The special will feature several male celebrities stripping down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research. It will also see actor Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli.
The event is inspired by the Oscar-nominated 1997 film The Full Monty as well as a series of British charity television special events that have run since 2017.
