Kimberly Van Der Beek has shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband, James Van Der Beek, on what would have been his 49th birthday, expressing that she is missing him "tremendously" following his death last month at the age of 48.
The actor, best known for his role in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, passed away on 11 February after a battle with bowel cancer. His widow took to Instagram stories to commemorate the day, sharing a series of intimate photos and videos from their family life.
"Would be your 49th birthday today. And I’m missing you tremendously," she wrote, accompanying clips of James dancing with their children. She continued, praising his character: "You are the light of our lives. Your love. Beauty. Presence. Tenderness. Protection. Safety. Creativity. Singing."
Kimberly also reflected on their shared moments, adding: "I’m so grateful for the time." One poignant image showed James cradling one of their newborns, which she captioned: "The way you were at births, held our newborns, revered me… I will cherish forever." She concluded her emotional message with: "Baby, you were the best humanity had to offer. This is a loss I don’t know how to process. I will love you forever."
The couple shared six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, alongside sons Joshua and Jeremiah. Their nine-year-old daughter, Emilia, also contributed to the tributes, creating an emotional video offering advice on grief. Her mother captioned the post: "Emilia asked me if she could make a video to post today, walked outside and came back with this."
Kimberly added: "In my stories are a whole lot of photos and some videos. All I want to do is watch videos of him right now with the kids." She thanked supporters, stating: "Thank you for the tremendous heart, love and support for the family." She vowed to keep his memory alive: "James… we will celebrate March 8th every day for the rest of our lives."
James Van Der Beek rose to international fame playing Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, which aired for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. He starred alongside Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams, portraying a group of articulate teenagers navigating complex romantic entanglements.
A GoFundMe campaign established for James’s family has since raised more than 2.7 million US dollars (£2 million).
