by Stephanie SoteriouBuzzFeedBuzzFeed Staff On Wednesday, the sad news broke that James Van Der Beek had died at age 48 - less than three years after he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Michael Tran / Getty Images While TMZ was the first to report the news of his death, James's wife, Kimberly, posted a statement to Instagram shortly afterwards. She wrote: "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace." Instagram @vanderjames / Via instagram.com "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time," she went on. "Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend." Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images In addition to Kimberly, James is survived by six children aged between 15 and 5 years old. Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/p/C41mk_It_sn/?hl=en&img_index=1 James is best known for playing the titular character in the beloved TV show Dawson's Creek, which aired between 1998 and 2003. He revealed his 2023 cancer diagnosis in 2024, telling NBC in December 2025: "It's been the wildest, hardest journey I've ever had in this lifetime. It's required more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had, quite frankly." Columbia Tristar / Getty Images Since news of his death broke, social media has been flooded with tributes from James's fans and fellow celebrities alike, with many of his former Dawson's Creek co-stars among those to honor him. View this photo on Instagram Instagram @katieholmes / Via instagram.com And through the heartache, people have stumbled across one of James's last social media posts - and his hopeful message in the video has only added to the sadness. Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images James shared the video to his Instagram profile on Jan. 15, 2026, which ended up being just 27 days before his death. In the footage, he is outside in the sunshine while mulling over the concept of New Year's resolutions. Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/reel/DTjOhl4jl_f/?hl=en "Anybody else out there finding that your New Year's resolution is impossible to keep?" James began. "I'm going to say something: I don't think it's your fault. I think it makes total sense. Why are we celebrating a new year in the dead of winter? Why are we celebrating new beginnings at a time when nature rests, animals are hibernating, birds fly south for the winter?" Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/reel/DTjOhl4jl_f/?hl=en "The time to celebrate a new beginning, and a new you, and a new resolution is in the spring, at the vernal equinox, when the flowers bloom, and it gets warmer, and the birds return. That's how nature does it. Why are we fighting nature?" he went on. "I mean, all due respect to Pope Gregory the 8th, who saddled us with his Gregorian calendar system, but it just makes absolutely no sense." Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/reel/DTjOhl4jl_f/?hl=en "Plus, hear me out on this one," James went on. "If March is the first month of the year, that means September is the seventh, October the eighth, November the ninth, December the tenth. You see where I'm going with this, right?" Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/reel/DTjOhl4jl_f/?hl=en He then concluded: "So, I'm gonna say screw it. I'm gonna take the winter to recover, to rest and I'm going to make New Year's resolutions in the spring. Who's with me?" Instagram @vanderjames / Via instagram.com And James's optimism for the spring has really struck a chord following his death, with an incredibly popular recent comment on the video reading: "I'm sorry you didn't make it to spring, but you made it somewhere far better." Warner Bros. Tv / Getty Images "in his memory, i'm going to celebrate the heck outta spring 2026! 🌸☀️🌷" somebody else wrote. Another added: "rewatching knowing he didn't make it to Spring has just made me burst into tears. I'm going to miss your positive reflections and words of wisdom." Instagram @vanderjames / Via instagram.com "I just came across this after learning of his death. Hits a little deeper❤️" one more wrote, another shared: "And today, @vanderjames you celebrate your spring." Instagram @vanderjames / Via instagram.com Somebody else echoed: "See you in the spring my friend 👼" while one more concluded: "May you be forever in spring now." Indiewire / Getty Images James posted to Instagram one more time before his death, on Jan. 26, when he shared a joint birthday tribute to his daughter and his dad. Thinking of James's loved ones at this sad time, you can watch his last video below: View this photo on Instagram Instagram @vanderjames / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/reel/DTjOhl4jl_f/?hl=en Comments