On Sunday, Kimberly Van Der Beek took to Instagram to mark what would have been her 16th wedding anniversary to the late Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek.
She wrote: “16 years ago I was the luckiest woman in the world to marry @vanderjames. The beauty of this marriage continues to unfold every day with all these incredible children we have. He continues to be present and guide us. I’m eternally grateful.”
The post included several selfies of the couple and a photograph of them hugging their children.
Death and grief
Van Der Beek died on February 11 after suffering from bowel cancer. In May, his widow shared a post marking three months since his death, describing the “outpouring of support” as “tremendous”.
She wrote: “To say I’m heartbroken is a severe understatement. Words just don’t capture what grief is. The comforts of shock have worn off. The reality is settling in… and I miss him. We all miss him. Yet, there is a different kind of magic in the air. I feel him. I know him more deeply.”
She continued: “My conscious connection to God has deepened. The veils of the universe have thinned. And I trust that this is the path me and my family have always been intended to walk.”
She added: “The outpouring of support has been tremendous. It’s held our family in the most beautiful of ways. You all went absolutely above and beyond anything I could have ever expected in supporting us and honouring James. I am deeply grateful. There is so much more to share here. And in time – I will.”
Family and career
The couple had six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.
Van Der Beek rose to fame playing Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, which also starred Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. The series ran for six seasons, from 1998 until 2003.
