Celebrity pals of James Van Der Beek have helped raise more than $1.7 million for the heartbroken family of the late actor, whose death was announced yesterday.
The outpouring of support comes after it was revealed the financial toll of the Dawson’s Creek star’s more than two-year battle with colorectal cancer had left his wife Kimberly and six children on the brink of losing their home in Austin, Texas.
A GoFundMe set up by friends of Kimberly Van Der Beek, who announced her husband’s death on their Instagram accounts yesterday (AEST), has so far raised $1.7 million.
Much of the money has come from the general public, while the late actor’s celebrity pals have also kicked in.
Among them, actress Zoe Saldana, who was recently named the highest-grossing film actor of all time, with her movies generating more than $21 billion at the global box office.
She has reportedly chipped in a monthly stipend of AU$3525.
Other big donations have come from film director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, (AU$35,000), US filmmaker Jonathan Chu (AU$14,000); Danielle Marquez Levinson, who is the wife of Hollywood producer Steve Levinson, (AU$14,000); fashion designer Tracy Robbins; and talent agent Kevin Huvane, who both donated AU$7000.
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The outpouring of support led to an update overnight from the organiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family. The fundraiser lists Kimberly Van Der Beek as the beneficiary.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up for James and his beautiful family,” it said.
“Your kindness has meant more than we can put into words.
“In the middle of deep grief, your support has been a light. It reminds us that love is real, that community is strong, and that James’s spirit continues to bring people together.”
The fundraiser was launched at the same time Van Der Beek’s death was announced. It was shared on the Instagram Story of accounts belonging to both James and Kimberly.
A statement announcing his death was also shared on the two Instagram accounts yesterday morning (AEST).
”Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” the statement said.
“He met his final days with courage, faith and grace.
“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come.
“For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Since then, there has been an outpouring of grief from Van Der Beek’s famous friends, some of whom also gave an insight into the star’s frail appearance in his final days.
Among them was former World Champion Wrestler Stacy Keibler, who once dated George Clooney. She shared a photo of herself watching a sunset with a frail and wheelchair-bound Van Der Beek, along with a lengthy statement.
“Spending these final days with you has been a true gift from God,” she wrote.
“I have never been so present in my life.
“When you know time is sacred, you don’t waste a single breath. You don’t rush. You don’t scroll. You don’t worry about tomorrow.
“You sit. You listen. You hold hands. You watch the sky change colours and you let it change you too.
“In these past days, you taught me more about being present than any book ever could.
“You showed me what it looks like to trust God’s plan, even when it breaks your heart. Especially when it breaks your heart.
“The other night we watched the sunset together as you shared your wisdom, your hopes, and the promises we made to each other.
“We talked about how this world can feel upside down… and how maybe heaven needs your spirit now to help steady us down here.
“And just as the sun slipped away, a shooting star crossed the sky… as if to remind us that none of this is random.”
She ended the post by saying “while your physical body may no longer be here, I know your spirit is doing big things”.
“I feel it already. We may have lost a good one here on earth… but heaven gained something extraordinary.
“I will think of you every time I watch a sunset. Every time I see a rainbow stretch across the sky.
“Thank you for changing me. I will carry you with me. Always.”
Others to post images from the actor’s final days was fashion designer Erin Fetherston, who was pictured by his bedside, and original The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro, who posted a photo of him embracing his friend, who was in bed.
“This was taken by @vanderkimberly just a few minutes before I said my last goodbye.
“I really miss him already.”
Meanwhile, a look back at the final photo Kimberly shared of her husband shows he was looking very thin and frail as far back as December 22, 2025.
Despite wearing three layers of clothes to protect him from the chill, his gaunt frame was clear to see.
Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023, which he had been battling privately.
He became an advocate for earlier detection of colorectal cancer and in his final months, worked to raise funds for charity F Cancer and himself, after his own treatment drained his bank account.
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He announced in 2024 he would sell items to support his family and others battling cancer.
“100 per cent of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own 😇),” he wrote.
Then in November 2025, he announced further sales, including the outfit he wore in the pilot episode of Dawson’s, the necklace Dawson gifted Katie Holmes’ Joey for prom and the cleats the star wore for his role in Varsity Blues.
“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,” the star said in an Instagram post at the time.
He also sold signed and unsigned jerseys bearing the name “Moxon” – his character in Varsity Blue – and No. 4.
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