‘Dawson’s Creek’ alum James Van Der Beek announces colorectal cancer diagnosis
James Van Der Beek has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The 47-year-old “Dawson’s Creek” alum publicly shared the news of his health battle on Sunday.
“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,” Van Der Beek told People.
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he added.
The Post has reached out to Van Der Beek’s rep for comment.
Colorectal cancer develops from growths in the colon’s inner lining, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms include blood in the stool, change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bloated stomach, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, and fatige.
Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer.
According to U.S. National Cancer Institute data, more than 90% of people treated for early-stage colorectal cancer were alive five years after diagnosis.
Van Der Beek has been married to Kimberly Brook since 2010. They have six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.
Before Jeremiah was born, the couple suffered two pregnancy losses. Kimberly’s first miscarriage at 17 and a half weeks happened in 2019 while Van Der Beek was competing on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“It was just so much pain, and it was so unexpected because everything was right, everything was fairy tale. Everything was coming together perfectly,” Van Der Beek recalled on his wife’s “Bathroom Chronicles” podcast last year.
“It progressed very quickly into being worried about Kim. we were both just crying and sobbing and there was a lot of blood. Way more blood than any delivery,” he added.
Kimberly had another miscarriage, also at 17 weeks, in June 2020.
“The soul we’d been excited to welcome into the world had lessons for our family that did not include joining us in a living physical body,” Van Der Beek wrote on Instagram at the time.
Thankfully, the couple welcomed Jeremiah, their sixth child, in Oct. 2021. “Life is so full I don’t have the words. Jeremiah Van Der Beek, thank you for being here,” Kimberly wrote on Instagram after the delivery.
Van Der Beek rose to fame playing Dawson Leery on “Dawson’s Creek” from 1998 to 2003. Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Mary-Margaret Humes, John Wesley Shipp and Busy Philipps also starred in the beloved teen drama.
In recent years, Van Der Beek has appeared on “CSI: Cyber,” “Modern Family,” and “Pose.” He came in 5th place on Season 28 of “DWTS” in 2019.
His next role is in the upcoming Tubi movie “Sidelined: The QB and Me,” out November 29.
