{"id":2205388,"date":"2025-12-19T13:47:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2205388"},"modified":"2025-12-19T13:47:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:47:13","slug":"james-van-der-beek-reflects-on-cancer-battle-in-emotional-today-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/james-van-der-beek-reflects-on-cancer-battle-in-emotional-today-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"James Van Der Beek Reflects on Cancer Battle in Emotional Today Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/james-van-der-beek\/\"><strong>James Van Der Beek<\/strong><\/a> is sharing an update on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beeks-wife-says-hes-bouncing-back-amid-cancer-battle\/\">his cancer battle<\/a> in an emotional new <em>Today<\/em> show interview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel a little bit better every month. It\u2019s required more of me \u2014 more patience, more discipline. More strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong, I didn\u2019t know I was this strong,\u201d the 48-year-old actor shared in a sit-down with <strong>Craig Melvin<\/strong>, which aired Friday, December 19.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back on the moment he received his diagnosis, Van Der Beek recalled coming out of a \u201chaze\u201d from anesthesia following his colonoscopy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went into shock. But you know, one of the things I was really lucky about was as soon as I heard the news, I thought, \u2018This is gonna be the best thing to ever happen to me.\u2019 \u2026 I had this little voice in my head that said, \u2018You\u2019re gonna make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn\u2019t have this extreme of a diagnosis, and it\u2019s gonna add healthy, happy years to your life,&#8217;\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beeks-most-honest-quotes-about-his-cancer-journey\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beeks-most-honest-quotes-about-his-cancer-journey\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">James Van Der Beek&#8217;s Most Honest Quotes About His Cancer Journey<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tJames Van Der Beek has been candid about his health ups and downs since announcing he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2024. \u201cEach year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I\u2019m one of them,\u201d the Dawson\u2019s Creek alum shared in an Instagram post at the time, noting that [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to Van Der Beek, fighting cancer has taught him some valuable lessons. \u201cI don\u2019t think I knew what it was to slow down before \u2026 to really look at everything I eat, everything I put in my body. Really, the biggest change I\u2019d say would be this journey of self-love. What I realized was, I\u2019m still worthy of love. My own love, God\u2019s love,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Faith has become an important factor in Van Der Beek\u2019s life. \u201cBefore cancer, God was something I tried to fit into my life as much as possible,\u201d he explained. \u201cAfter cancer, I feel like a connection to God, whatever that is, is kind of the whole point of this exercise on this planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans previously got a glimpse of the <em>Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em> alum posing with Melvin in photos shared via <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSYnD7gCQRr\/?img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a> on Wednesday, December 17. \u201cSpent the day in TX on James Van Der Beek\u2019s ranch (@vanderjames) Overcast and dreary outside but James is quite the ray of positivity these days. It was refreshing and inspiring,\u201d Melvin\u2019s caption read. \u201cWe talked about where he is on his journey, the importance of cancer screenings, and how he\u2019s finding joy in family and faith. Our convo coming up Friday am on @todayshow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Van Der Beek has been <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beeks-cancer-diagnosis-expert-explains-disease\/\">battling colorectal cancer<\/a>, a diagnosis he revealed in November 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,\u201d the actor wrote in an Instagram post at the time. \u201cI\u2019m in a good place and feeling strong. It\u2019s been quite the initiation, and I\u2019ll tell you more when I\u2019m ready. \u2026 Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beek-details-stage-3-cancer-battle-treatment\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/James-Van-Der-Beek-Details-Stage-3-Cancer-Battle.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1331px%2C753px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=40&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"James Van Der Beek Details Stage 3 Cancer Battle\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/James-Van-Der-Beek-Details-Stage-3-Cancer-Battle.jpg?quality=40&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beek-details-stage-3-cancer-battle-treatment\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">James Van Der Beek Details Stage 3 Cancer Battle: &#8216;Cautiously Optimistic&#8217;<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tJames Van Der Beek is focused on his recovery after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. \u201cI\u2019m very cautiously optimistic. I\u2019m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great,\u201d Van Der Beek, 47, told People in an interview published on Friday, November 8. \u201cWhen I\u2019ve been out of the woods completely for [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Since then, Van Der Beek has kept his fans updated on his progress. His wife, <strong>Kimberly Van Der Beek<\/strong>, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-moms\/pictures\/james-van-der-beeks-sweetest-moments-with-family-pics\/\">their six children<\/a> \u2014 Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4 \u2014 have also been a source of support throughout his health battle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would not be alive were it not for my wife,\u201d he said on Friday. \u201cShe has just stepped up as a caretaker, as a nurse, as head of the household. And then the kids, as much as I want to shield them from them seeing me in any kind of pain \u2026 you realize that resilience is not only something they have and can build, but is the best thing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a separate <em>Today<\/em> appearance in July, James noted that it\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-moms\/news\/james-van-der-beek-shares-how-he-told-his-kids-about-his-cancer\/\">important to include his kids<\/a> on his cancer journey, which is every bit their own journey. \u201cI have kids making me tea. \u2018Dad, what do you need?\u2019 There\u2019s been a lot of beauty that\u2019s come out of it,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I would love to save everybody [from] this journey, which is why I\u2019m saying get screened.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beek-reveals-why-he-didnt-appear-on-today\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1201726634James-Van-Der-Beek-Reveals-Why-He-Didnt-Appear-on-Today.jpg?crop=914px%2C105px%2C1465px%2C827px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"GettyImages-1201726634James-Van-Der-Beek-Reveals-Why-He-Didnt-Appear-on-Today.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1201726634James-Van-Der-Beek-Reveals-Why-He-Didnt-Appear-on-Today.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/james-van-der-beek-reveals-why-he-didnt-appear-on-today\/\" target=\"\" data-source=\"01\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">James Van Der Beek Reveals Why He Didn\u2019t Appear on &#8216;Today&#8217;\u00a0<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tJames Van Der Beek was forced to miss a planned appearance on the Today show \u2014 but there was a good reason behind his absence. The actor, 48, took to his Instagram Story on Friday, December 5, to explain why he had to miss the TV commitment due to occur earlier that day. \u201cTell me [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Several months later, the cast of<em> Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em> reunited to raise money for F Cancer, but James <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/james-van-der-beeks-wife-addresses-his-dawsons-creek-reunion-absence\/\">pulled out of the live reading<\/a> at the last minute. He was replaced by <strong>Lin-Manuel Miranda<\/strong>, who James joked was \u201cridiculously overqualified\u201d for the gig.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the evening I\u2019d been looking forward to MOST since my angel <strong>Michelle Williams<\/strong> said she was putting it together, way back in January\u2026 So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment,\u201d he wrote via Instagram in September. \u201cDespite every effort \u2026 I won\u2019t get to be there. I won\u2019t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Fans attending the event in New York City still <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/james-van-der-beek-appears-at-dawsons-creek-reunion-amid-cancer-battle\/\">got a special message from James<\/a> through a prerecorded video. James got emotional on Friday while reflecting on how his family was received at the big event.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs crushed as I was to not be able to go to that <em>Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em> reunion, my family got to go \u2026 and they got a standing ovation just for taking their seats,\u201d he told Melvin. \u201cAnd all that love that would\u2019ve otherwise been directed at me, was directed at my family. It was one of the most beautiful moments I\u2019ve ever gotten to witness. I\u2019m just so grateful to the fans for doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite his \u201cextreme\u201d diagnosis, James is looking to the future with hope, noting on Friday, \u201cI think it changes everything. It\u2019ll change the way I live for the rest of my life. \u2026 Presence, I think, is really the gift that cancer\u2019s given me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usmagazine.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Van Der Beek is sharing an update on his cancer battle in an emotional new Today show interview. \u201cI feel a little bit better every month. It\u2019s required more of me \u2014 more patience, more discipline. More strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong, I didn\u2019t know I was this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2205389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[30162,24003],"class_list":["post-2205388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-celebrity-health","tag-celebrity-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/James-Van-Der-Beek-Reflects-on-Cancer-Battle-in-Emotional.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2205388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2205390,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205388\/revisions\/2205390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2205389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2205388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2205388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2205388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}