James Van Der Beek's final Instagram post before his death at age 48 paid tribute to his daughter Annabel and his father, who share a birthday. The Dawson's Creek star died on Wednesday, 11 February, his wife Kimberly confirmed in a statement shared on Instagram.
In the post, dated 25 January, Van Der Beek shared a photograph of himself embracing Annabel, writing: 'My father and my daughter share a birthday today. At first, I thought that was all they shared — they seemed so different to me. But as the two of you have evolved, and let more of who you are shine through, I can recognise the same open, warm, loving, gentle heart.'
The actor continued: 'I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most. I see the same out-of-the-box Aquarian creativity and originality. And you both make every room you’re in more fun.' He added: 'In this crazy world, it’s a wonder to me that you’ve managed to stay so open, so tender, and so genuinely good.'
Van Der Beek had been diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2023, publicly confirming the news in November 2024. His family announced his death on Wednesday, saying he faced his final days 'with courage, faith and grace'.
The actor is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and Jeremiah, four. A GoFundMe page set up to support the family has raised more than $1.13 million (£830,000) as of Thursday morning.
