CARTER EVANS:
00:00:19
James Van Der Beek led a generation through the tumult of teenage love as Dawson Leery, the title character in Dawson's Creek. The '90s TV drama turned Van Der Beek, and his co-stars Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson into Hollywood stars. And the 1999 film Varsity Bluessealed his status as a teen heartthrob. I don't want your life.
CARTER EVANS:
00:00:42
Van Der Beek's death was announced by his wife, Kimberly, on social media. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," she wrote. His cause of death was not made public, but in 2024, Van Der Beek revealed he'd been diagnosed the year before with colorectal cancer. It has been the hardest year of my life. This year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose to nose with death.
CARTER EVANS:
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He spoke publicly about his battle to raise awareness. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Americans under 50. Two weeks ago, in his last social media post, Van Der Beek gave a tribute to his daughter and father on their shared birthday. He is survived by his wife and six children. Carter Evans, CBS News, Los Angeles.
