Kimberly Van Der Beek has shared a deeply emotional tribute to her late husband, actor James Van Der Beek, while marking their daughter Emilia's milestone 10th birthday. The Dawson's Creek star passed away at age 48 on February 11 at his home in Austin, Texas, following a courageous battle with cancer.
A Rare and Touching Instagram Moment
On Thursday, the 44-year-old mother of six posted a rare photograph to her Instagram Stories, capturing a precious moment between James and their daughter Emilia. In the intimate image, the actor is seen wearing a fur-lined jacket, sweater, and cap as he leans affectionately toward Emilia, who wraps her arms around his shoulders while smiling softly in an oversized sweatshirt.
Alongside this poignant snapshot, Kimberly wrote: 'Just a few heavenly months ago. Missing you my love.' This tribute arrives just weeks after Emilia herself moved countless fans with a heartfelt video where she openly discussed processing her grief over losing her father.
Emilia's Emotional Birthday Reflection
Emilia shared her video on what would have been James Van Der Beek's 49th birthday on Sunday, March 8. In her reflective message, she expressed: 'I know that my dad's in a good place. He's not in pain anymore.'
Kimberly, who was married to the actor since 2010, posted her daughter's video alongside a lengthy caption, after sharing her own birthday tribute to her late husband on the same day. She explained: 'Emilia asked me if she could make a video to post today, walked outside and came back with this.'
The mother-of-six continued: 'In my stories are a whole lot of photos and some videos. All I want to do is watch videos of him right now with the kids. Thank you for the tremendous heart, love and support for the family.' She added emojis of a pink heart and a teary-eyed smile, addressing James directly: 'James... We will celebrate March 8th every day for the rest of our lives.'
Processing Grief and Sharing Wisdom
Emilia, the fourth of six children shared by the late actor and Kimberly, offered compassionate advice to others experiencing loss. In her emotional video, she sat outside wearing an oversized trucker cap she 'stole' from her father to remember him.
She began: 'As you will probably know, my dad has passed away,' before sharing what she called 'little tips' to help people 'get through anybody you love passing.'
Her guidance included:
- 'The number one thing for somebody's passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out.'
- 'If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day.'
- 'I start with a sentence, and I say, "Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I'll never stop loving you."'
Emilia described her daily practice: 'I just tell him about my day, how I'm feeling, and I told my family how I'm feeling. And I know he can hear me, but I can't hear him.'
Finding Comfort in Memory
She elaborated on her grief process: 'You have to feel them in your heart, because they're in your heart. They're watching over you. They're a part of your body and in a good place. I know that my dad's in a good place. He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord.'
Addressing others who have lost loved ones, she acknowledged the complexity of emotions: 'It is okay to be happy they're in a good place but still be sad because you miss them. Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways. And don't let anybody tell you that. Be like, "No, you don't know how I feel."'
Fatherly Wisdom and Lasting Legacy
Emilia also shared valuable advice her father once gave her: 'Something my dad told me was if this doesn't work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they'll keep coming.'
To maintain connection with her father, she described how she 'stole his hat,' noting: 'My dad's hat smells like him, and I love it so much.'
She concluded with gratitude: 'I know that he was a good man. A lot of people loved him, and people prayed for him, and he was loved by many, many people.' She also gave a special shoutout to supporters who donated to the GoFundMe campaign established to assist her family.
The Van Der Beek family includes six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah. James Van Der Beek had revealed his cancer diagnosis in late 2024 after a routine colonoscopy one year earlier, making his passing at 48 particularly poignant for his widespread fanbase and loved ones.
