Kimberly Van Der Beek shared that her oldest daughter, Olivia, has a unique quality she inherited from her late father, James.
The actor, best known for his role on Dawson’s Creek, died on February 11th at the age of 48 after fighting colorectal cancer. His family shared the sad news on social media.
Kimberly and Van Der Beek have been married since 2010 and have six children together. Their kids are Olivia, 15, Joshua, 14, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 10, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4.
On Monday, she posted a cute photo of herself with her oldest daughter on Instagram, showing them posing outdoors.
The mother of six wrote at the bottom of the picture: ‘My oldest child has her father’s beautiful smile @vanderlivy.’
The pair both sent small smiles towards the camera as Kimberly took the memorable picture.
Van Der Beek’s death was confirmed in a post shared to his Instagram account on February 11.
James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He faced his final days with courage, faith, and dignity.
We have many cherished memories of his kindness, his deep care for others, and his appreciation for every moment. We will share more about that later. Right now, we kindly request privacy as we mourn the loss of our beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
Back in November 2024, the actor had announced his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis.
According to a source who spoke with the Daily Mail, the individual had stopped treatment some time ago because doctors determined there were no further options, as the cancer was rapidly progressing.
After the news of his death, fans and celebrities shared heartfelt messages remembering the actor, including those who worked with him on Dawson’s Creek, like Katie Holmes.
Last month, on March 8th, Kimberly shared photos of her late husband on Instagram, marking what would have been his 49th birthday.
One photo displayed the couple together, with a caption reading, ‘Happy birthday – it would have been your 49th. I miss you so much.’
Another slide showed Van Der Beek taking a selfie with four of his six children.
Kimberly shared a heartfelt message, writing, ‘You bring so much light into our lives with your love, beauty, kindness, and everything you are. You protect us, keep us safe, and inspire our creativity and joy.’
She shared a family photo and wrote a heartfelt message, saying, ‘My love, you were the best of us. I’m heartbroken and can’t imagine life without you. I’ll love you always.’
Kimberly additionally shared a video that daughter Emilia made at the time as well.
She explained that Emilia had asked if she could film a quick video to share today, and then immediately showed me what Emilia had created. It’s a collection of photos and videos she posted to her stories.
Right now, I just want to be with my kids, watching videos of him. I’m so grateful for all the love and support everyone has shown our family.
She concluded with, ‘James… We will celebrate March 8th every day for the rest of our lives.’
In the video, Emilia shared advice for coping with loss while sitting outdoors. She was wearing a hat she jokingly said she ‘borrowed’ from her father as a way to feel close to him and keep his memory alive.
She also shared how she talks to her father every day.
I share what’s happening in my life and how I’m feeling with him and my family. I know he can hear me, but unfortunately, I can’t hear him back.
It really brings me comfort knowing my dad is finally at peace. He’s not suffering anymore, and I believe he’s in heaven, safe with God. It just feels so right to picture him up there, above the clouds.
The 10-year-old revealed the special advice that the late star had given her before his passing.
My dad always said that even if things didn’t go as planned, I should never stop believing in miracles. He believed miracles could still happen, maybe not right away, but eventually, and that good things would continue to come our way.
The mom-of-six also celebrated her daughter Emilia’s 10th birthday a few weeks earlier on March 23.
She shared an old photo of Van Der Beek and Emilia online, captioning it with a heartfelt message: ‘Missing my love from just a few months ago.’
James Van Der Beek has spoken before about how much becoming a father impacted his life. In a 2023 interview with Good Morning America, he said it completely changed everything for him.
Becoming a parent means shifting your focus from your own needs to the needs of your children – those little ones you love become your top priority.
He went on to say that ultimately, what he really wanted was to protect his loved ones, make them feel secure, and share joyful moments with them.
The star said it was the most daring and fulfilling thing they’d ever done, and it brought them immense happiness.
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2026-04-08 00:49