James Van Der Beek seen in heartbreaking final photo with Alfonso Ribeiro taken moments before ‘last goodbye’

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Alfonso Ribeiro recently revealed a touching memory of his last time with friend James Van Der Beek.

I was so incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Van Der Beek. He was only 48 and fought a brave two-year battle with colorectal cancer. My heart goes out to his wife, Kimberly, and their six beautiful children – Olivia, who’s 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, almost ten, Gwendolyn, seven, and little Jeremiah, who’s just four. It’s just a devastating loss.

Ribeiro is the godfather to Van Der Beek’s daughter Gwendolyn. 

I was so saddened to hear about the passing of the Dawson’s Creek star. I recently learned from the actor himself that he was with him in his final moments, offering support and companionship. It’s just heartbreaking to think about, but I’m glad he could be there for him.

Ribeiro shared a heartfelt photo along with a message explaining it was taken by @vanderkimberly shortly before a final farewell.

He recalled their final moments being joyful, filled with laughter, and remembered finishing with one last attempt to make him smile.

The touching photo shows the star of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ cradling Van Der Beek’s head while he’s lying in bed, wearing a knitted hat pulled down over his eyes.

It genuinely broke my heart to hear about James Van Der Beek’s passing. I was scrolling through old photos, and I had to share one of my favorites – it’s a really lovely shot of James and me, taken years ago when we were both feeling great and enjoying some time outdoors. It just reminded me of how full of life he was.

He shared a photo and wrote about how heartbroken he was to learn of the death of his friend, @vanderjames. He described his friend as a true brother and mentor, and said he was with him throughout his difficult battle with cancer.

His loved ones experienced a turbulent journey with his illness – moments of hope when he seemed to be recovering, followed by devastating setbacks when it returned.

I’m incredibly grateful to James and Kimberly Vanderkim. They’ve had a huge positive impact on my life and the lives of my family, and I’ll always appreciate everything they’ve done for us.

I will always cherish his memory. I’ll continue to support his children, and I’ll always consider being Gwen’s godfather one of the most meaningful parts of my life.

I love you, James. Knowing I have a guardian angel watching over me brings me comfort. I’ll always cherish being able to say goodbye to you this weekend. Rest in peace, my brother. Rest in peace.

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2026-02-13 00:21