James Van Der Beek is parting ways with some of his Dawson’s Creek memorabilia amid his cancer battle.
The 48-year-old actor, who has been battling Stage 3 colorectal cancer, is selling several items from TV teen drama Dawson’s Creek and movie Varsity Blues in a partnership with auction website Propstore, where interested buyers can place their bids.
“I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now,” Van Der Beek told Propstore in a statement.
“And while I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.”
Van Der Beek, who starred as Dawson Leery in the hit show, is auctioning off items including wardrobe, props and set pieces, like Dawson Leery’s flannel, the necklace he wore in the series before he gifted it to Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) and Van Der Beek’s chair back from the set of the series.
(L-R:) Dawson Leery’s (James Van Der Beek) flannel from the series ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and Leery’s necklace to Joey Potter (Katie Holmes).
Propstoreauction.com
The items will go on sale through Propstore’s annual Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, running from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7.
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All of the proceeds from the items sold will go to Van Der Beek to help “with the financial cost of fighting cancer,” People reports.
Van Der Beek first revealed that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer last November in an interview with People.
“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” the star told the publication. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
The actor did not give further details on his diagnosis, but shared in an Instagram post: “I’m in a good place and feeling strong.”
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” he continued on Instagram. “It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”
In the post, he said he decided to make the announcement before he’d planned, explaining that while he wanted to talk about it “at length” with People, another publication was getting set to run the story.
“That plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news,” Van Der Beek wrote.
An increasing number of younger people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Canada and the United States — even though overall cases and deaths have fallen in recent years.
According to a 2023 study from the American Cancer Society, one in five cases diagnosed in 2019 were in people under 55, almost double the rate of 11 per cent in 1995.
It’s a similar situation in Canada, where colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or rectum, which are part of the large intestine, and can also spread to other parts of the body.
Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol consumption increase the risks for this type of cancer, but family history is also a contributing factor.
— With files from Global News
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