All about the late actor’s wife, six kids, and their ‘unconditional love’

James Van Der Beek, best known for Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, died Wednesday at the age of 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek (née Brook), and their six kids: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.

After his first marriage to actress Heather McComb ended, James met Kimberly on vacation.

“I was in Israel, on a trip with an organized group, when it hit me: I was done being single,” he wrote on Instagram in 2020. “I wanted a real relationship. A soul mate. Someone with whom I could build a family. I was mid-revelation, rattling all this off to a friend of mine when a voice interrupted us, wanting to ask him a question. I was annoyed. Who the hell was stepping all over my moment?”

That voice belonged to Kimberly.

“Three days later, I asked her what she was looking for in a relationship. Her answer: ‘I’m not looking for a relationship.’ Six months later we were living together. Two weeks after that we were pregnant, and almost exactly one year to the date after she’d first interrupted me … we were married.”

As fans mourn his death, here’s a closer look at James Van Der Beek’s family.

Kimberly has worked in the entertainment industry

Kimberly has worked behind the scenes as a producer, including as an associate producer on the 2010 documentary Teenage Paparazzo. She’s also dipped into acting, popping up as Princess Buttercup in an at-home remake of The Princess Bride that came together during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

She also cohosted the Bathroom Chronicles podcast with Peggy Rometo from early 2023 through the spring of 2024. The show featured candid conversations with guests like Becca Tobin, Emma Slater, and James himself, who previously spoke with PEOPLE about how “inspirational” it was for him to see her “create a safe space for people to share honestly, openly — to laugh, to cry and know that they’re not alone in the world.”

She’s spoken frankly about her pregnancy struggles

Kimberly has been very open about experiencing five miscarriages, including two in a row.

In 2019, she shared with PEOPLE how isolating pregnancy loss can feel. “It’s so hard, but it’s important to talk about,” she said. “We wait so long to tell people that we are pregnant so the possibility of miscarriage has decreased. But in the meantime, you’re tired, you need help and you’re going through one of the wildest times of your life.”

James also shared his perspective, saying that grief should be part of the healing process. “It’s a natural reaction to reason your way out of pain,” he explained. “Especially for guys. But I want to encourage people to give themselves space to grieve the loss of that expectation, of that dream. You can support each other.”

James and Kimberly shared six children

James was the father of six kids. He and Kimberly welcomed their first child, Olivia, on Sept. 25, 2010, nearly two months after their wedding.

From there, their family grew quickly. Their first son, Joshua, arrived in March 2012, followed by Leah in January 2014, Emilia in March 2016, Gwendolyn in June 2018, and Jeremiah in October 2021.

The Pose actor was always open about how much being a dad meant to him. In June 2025, he took to Instagram to share how fatherhood had been “the most treasured honor of my life.” He added, “Thank you to my kids for re-teaching me how to live, laugh, love, and show up in my own life and in the world.”

He often gushed about his kids. “We have watched our lives change with each kid,” he told PEOPLE in 2019. “We’ve watched opportunities grow, and we’ve seen the positive effect it’s had on our other kids. And the added love brought into the house lights everybody up in a way that is kind of undeniable.”

James said family was his rock during cancer battle

Kimberly and their kids were by James’ side every step of the way during his health journey. During a December 2024 appearance on Good Morning America, the actor became emotional while talking about her support. “She’s been amazing,” he said through tears. “She’s really taught me what unconditional love is.”

He admitted the diagnosis was “really scary” for their children. “Some of them are very outward with their fears and they talk about them,” he explained, “and, some of them, it manifests in other behavioral ways or they get really quiet.”

A year later, James echoed those words on Today: “I would not be alive if it weren’t for my wife,” he said. “She just has stepped up as a caretaker, as a nurse, as head of the household.”

He continued, “My kids, as much as I want to shield them from seeing me in any kind of pain or just stress. I wanted to be Super Dad. You realize that resilience is not only something they have and can build, but it’s the best thing for them.”

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