James Van Der Beek's nine-year-old daughter, Emilia, has spoken publicly about her grief on what would have been the actor's 49th birthday. The Dawson's Creek star died on 11 February at the age of 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
In a video posted to her mother Kimberly's Instagram account on 8 March, Emilia said: 'I know that my dad's in a good place. He's not in pain anymore.' She advised others coping with loss to 'talk to them and let your emotions out'.
'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,'' she explained. '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.'
Emilia revealed she had taken one of her father's hats, which 'smells like him'. She described him as 'a good man' who was loved by many. The family's GoFundMe page has raised over $2.7 million since his death.
Kimberly Van Der Beek wrote in the caption: 'James... We will celebrate March 8th every day for the rest of our lives.' The actor is survived by his wife and six children.
