James Van Der Beek GoFundMe Raises $2 Million for His Family

“James’s spirit continues to bring people together,” wrote the late actor’s friends on GoFundMe, after the fundraiser earned more than $2 million for his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. 

The Dawson’s Creek star died on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the age of 48 following a long battle with colorectal cancer. Van Der Beek revealed his diagnoses in November 2024, more than 18 months after he started receiving treatment. Shortly after the news broke of his death, Van Der Beek’s friends launched a GoFundMe to help support his family and said that the “costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds.”

Less than 24 hours after announcing the fundraiser, the account reached more than $1 million in donations. The following day, the campaign raised over $2 million and surpassed its $1.5 million goal. The actor’s friends shared an update on Thursday expressing their gratitude to donors.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up for James and his beautiful family,” read the statement on the fundraising platform. “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.”

“Right now, the family is taking time to mourn and be with one another. We kindly ask members of the media and the public to give them space and privacy as they walk through this painful season,” the message continued. “Thank you for honoring his life with compassion, generosity, and love.”

Van Der Beek’s Hollywood peers, cast mates, and fans have taken to social media to remember the actor and his legacy. Katie Holmes paid tribute to her Dawson’s Creek co-star in a handwritten note on Thursday, paying tribute to his “bravery, compassion, selflessness, strength, an appreciation for life and the action taken to live life with the integrity that life is art — creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children.”