View gallery Image Credit: Getty Images Dawson's Creek alum James Van Der Beek died on February 11, 2026. He was 48 years old and had been battling cancer in the last two years of his life. James is survived by his six children, all of whom he shared with his wife, Kimberly. Although he went public with his diagnosis in 2024, most of the world was shocked by how much he'd physically changed before his death. "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," an Instagram post shared to James' account read. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.