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.