The actors from Dawson’s Creek are grieving after the unexpected passing of James Van Der Beek.
James, best known for his role as Dawson Leery in the popular TV show, died on Wednesday at 48 after fighting colorectal cancer.
He is remembered by his wife, Kimberly, age 44, and their six children: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.
Since the sad news of James’ death, many people have been revisiting the popular TV show he starred in during the nineties. The series, which aired on the WB Network for six seasons from 1998 to 2003, also helped make Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson well-known actors.
The series quickly made its actors famous, but this came at a price. Many of them struggled with health problems, difficult divorces, and personal tragedies.
It’s been twenty years since the popular show finished, and the Daily Mail is now sharing updates on what the actors have been up to.
James Van Der Beek
Looking back, landing the lead role really launched my career and turned me into a teen idol. I was lucky enough to balance that with some fun, bigger projects like ‘Varsity Blues’ and ‘The Rules of Attraction’ while I was still playing Dawson. It was a whirlwind, but a great time!
After the show finished, James was also named one of People Magazine’s 50 most beautiful people.
As the 2000s came to a close, I noticed he started shifting gears a bit. He wasn’t quite as visible in big projects anymore, but he kept busy – I saw him popping up in smaller TV roles, doing some really interesting work in off-Broadway theater, and even having fun on ‘Dancing with the Stars’! It was a smart move, letting him explore different creative avenues.
In 2020, he and his family left Los Angeles for Austin, Texas, seeking a more relaxed lifestyle on a ranch.
He returned to the news recently when he announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The actor revealed he’s been quietly managing a recent health issue and is working towards a solution, with strong support from his family.
He sadly passed away this week. His wife announced the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
It is with great sadness that we share the news of James David Van Der Beek’s passing. He died peacefully this morning after facing his final days with courage, faith, and grace.
‘There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time.
We know difficult times lie ahead. Right now, we kindly request privacy and peace as we mourn the loss of our beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help the actor’s family financially after his passing.
The actor died on February 11th after a long fight with cancer, his family announced.
The family struggled emotionally and financially while James was ill, doing everything they could to care for him.
Michelle Williams
As a lifestyle expert, I always remember Jennifer Lindley on Dawson’s Creek! Michelle, who was 45 at the time, brilliantly played this free-spirited character. Basically, Jen was a bit of a rebel from New York City who ended up having to live with her grandmother in the quieter town of Capeside.
Since the release of ‘Dawson’s Creek’, Michelle Williams has achieved the most significant career success of anyone from the show, with four Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe wins.
She gained significant recognition for her role in the 2004 film Brokeback Mountain, and it was on that set that she met her future partner, Heath Ledger.
The couple welcomed daughter Matilda in October 2005 before breaking up in 2007.
Three months later, Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose. He was just 28.
Michelle remained silent about Heath Ledger’s death for many years, choosing to prioritize raising their daughter privately and out of the public eye. She didn’t publicly address it until 2016.
To be honest, I generally believe in accepting things as they are and making the best of your current situation, rather than struggling against it.
‘In pretty much all senses but one,’ she told Porter magazine in 2016.
Speaking about her grief over her daughter, she explained that while she often thinks about how unfair things are, she finds comfort in the fact that Matilda still has a father. She said it’s a situation that will never truly feel okay, but having her father present makes it a little more bearable.
Joshua Jackson
Joshua played the role of Dawson’s close friend and eventual love interest for Joey Potter, and he was known as the rebellious character in Capeside.
Following the conclusion of his show, Josh, now 47, continued acting, often portraying rebellious teenage characters in films like Cruel Intentions. He’s recently experienced a career resurgence with leading roles in the television series Fringe and Doctor Odyssey.
But like Pacey’s messy romances, his personal life has been blighted by love woes.
Joshua Jackson married Jodie Turner-Smith in 2019, but she filed for divorce in 2023, stating they had differences that couldn’t be resolved.
The biggest challenge in their divorce was deciding on a fair custody arrangement for their five-year-old daughter, Juno.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen many co-parenting situations, and it sounds like this one hit a snag last May. Sources say they were almost at an agreement, but then disagreements popped up about where their daughter, Juno, would go to school and how much travel Juno would be able to do with her mom, Jodie. It’s common for these details to be tricky when finalizing arrangements!
Jodie and the other party were scheduled for a court hearing on October 15th, but Jodie’s lawyers requested it be cancelled just before the date.
I was so saddened to hear that Joshua lost his beautiful home in Topanga Canyon to the wildfires last year. It was a $2 million property, and it just went up in flames – a truly devastating loss for him.
The Doctor Odyssey star grew up in that house as a young child, but his family moved back to Canada when he was eight years old after his parents separated.
He bought the house more than twenty years ago and was living there with his young daughter, who was four years old.
In 2021, he shared his desire to buy the house he grew up in, describing it as a meaningful way to come full circle in his life.
He explained to Mr Porter in July 2021 that his father wasn’t a present or positive figure in his life. However, he found the experience of being at the family home in Topanga to be incredibly restorative and a source of peace.
He shared that after their daughter, Juno, was born, they turned his old childhood bedroom into her room.
He said he was amazed to still see the dragon mural on the wall after all those years.
The previous owner explained, “I always felt it was important to someone and that they’d eventually return for it,” he said.
Katie Holmes
Katie, now 47, became well-known for her role as Joey Potter on the show. The character’s difficult upbringing – including a father in prison for drug dealing and a later armed robbery – provided some dramatic moments for viewers.
Katie Holmes’s career hasn’t received as much attention since ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ largely because of the publicity surrounding her marriage to and divorce from Tom Cruise.
In 2012, Tom and Katie announced their divorce after five years together, creating one of the biggest celebrity breakups in recent memory.
Tom and Kate were once considered Hollywood’s power couple, and Tom famously showed his affection for her by jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch during a live television appearance.
The couple married in Italy in 2006, shortly after their daughter Suri was born. However, their relationship gradually fell apart, with reports suggesting Katie felt overwhelmed and frightened by the Church of Scientology and its power.
In June 2012, news broke that Katie was seeking a divorce in New York, likely to improve her chances of having full custody of her daughter, Suri.
Having full custody of Suri would allow Katie Holmes to take her daughter away from the Church of Scientology, a religion Holmes reportedly didn’t like or trust, even though her husband was a strong supporter.
Katie and Tom finalized their divorce on July 9, 2012. Katie was awarded full custody of their six-year-old daughter, Suri.
The former couple settled their disagreements privately, avoiding a public trial. This protected the actor’s religious organization, Scientology, from having its confidential practices revealed in court.
In 2017, she explained that her decision to focus on directing instead of acting was intentional, allowing her to spend more time with her daughter, Suri.
She’s spoken before about how difficult it was watching Suri grow up, explaining that while you try to give your child everything they need, it’s inevitably painful when they eventually become independent.
With Suri now enjoying life at college, Katie has a renewed focus on her work.
After her divorce from Tom, the celebrity received a settlement of £10 million, plus $38,000 annually for child support.
For the last 12 years, the celebrity has received $400,000 to cover the costs of raising their daughter, Suri, by themselves. However, reports suggest they are no longer receiving child support payments now that Suri is in college and considered a legal adult.
Katie’s newest project, Happy Hours, pairs her with Joshua, a friend of her former co-star Dawson, to play a couple who reconnect after many years. The story follows them as they fall in love again while balancing their busy lives and family obligations.
Katie not only wrote and stars in these three movies, but she also directed them – making them her fourth, fifth, and sixth films as a director.
Obi Ndefo
Obi Ndefo played Katie Holmes’ character’s brother-in-law Bodie Wells between 1998 and 2002.
The actor passed away in November 2024 at 51 years old, following a devastating crash five years prior that resulted in the loss of both of his legs.
Obi, who is a graduate of Yale, was seriously injured in an August 2019 hit-and-run crash.
Doctors had to amputate both of his legs. One leg was completely broken, and the other had been partially torn off.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a man was hit by a drunk driver while loading a cooler into his car outside an Erewhon Market on Beverly Boulevard.
After the incident, Ndefo’s friends and family created a GoFundMe campaign and collected over $290,000.
The funds will help cover Ndefo’s medical expenses, including prosthetic legs, surgery, and hospital bills not paid for by insurance, as well as modifications to his home to make it accessible for wheelchair use.
Mary-Margaret Humes, known for her role as Gale Leery on Dawson’s Creek, shared a tribute to Ndefo on Instagram when he passed away.
“It’s difficult to put into words how I feel,” she said. “I can hardly believe you’re gone, my dear friend. You were, and always will be, a truly radiant person. You showed us all what it means to live with unwavering love and strength, even when facing tough times.”
I’ll always treasure the loving and supportive messages we shared over the last few years. May you rest in peace, dear friend.
Heidi Ferrer
Heidi Ferrer, a writer for the TV show Dawson’s Creek, died by suicide in her Los Angeles home in 2021. She had been struggling with the long-term effects of COVID-19 for thirteen months.
Since catching the virus in April 2020, she’d been confined to bed and suffering from terrible pain.
It breaks my heart to share that it took months for doctors to figure out what was wrong with my beloved wife, and even longer to get her a referral to a clinic specializing in long-term Covid effects. Sadly, that referral finally came just one day before she passed away. It was a truly agonizing wait, and we desperately hoped the clinic could help, but it just wasn’t enough time.
Guthe said she had expressed feeling overwhelmed and unsure if she could cope if things worsened. She recalled repeatedly telling her, “Just hold on, medical advancements are happening faster than ever before.”
I truly believe her biggest fear wasn’t just physical decline, but losing her independence completely. She worried about eventually being unable to walk, needing a wheelchair, and even losing the ability to take care of herself – things like bathing. It was about losing control of her own body and needing help with even the most basic tasks, and that terrified her.
In April 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19, the woman experienced body aches, intense foot and ankle pain, fatigue, and felt like she had the flu.
It was awful watching her decline. By June, she was completely stuck in bed, and it just kept getting worse. The exhaustion and pain in her feet never really went away, but then these terrible tremors started, shaking her body… it was heartbreaking. I just kept hoping she’d get better, but it was like watching her slip away.
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2026-02-12 13:59