James Van Der Beek’s GoFundMe reaches $1.2million after actor was forced to sell off Dawson’s Creek memorabilia amid heartbreaking financial woes

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Following the unexpected passing of James Van Der Beek at age 48, his family is receiving financial assistance through GoFundMe, as they were facing significant money troubles beforehand.

I’m absolutely heartbroken to hear about the passing of the Dawson’s Creek star. He lost his brave fight with stage 3 colorectal cancer on Wednesday, after battling it for two years. My heart goes out to his wife, Kimberly, and their six beautiful children – Olivia, who’s 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and little Jeremiah, who’s just four. It’s such a loss.

Kimberly announced her husband’s passing and explained that friends had started a GoFundMe to help support their children.

Fans and friends have so far raised over $1.2million in just seven hours. 

James openly shared on social media about the financial difficulties his family faced due to his medical treatment. He explained that the treatment prevented him from working and supporting his wife and children, which was very challenging for them all.

After years in Los Angeles, James’ family had purchased a remote Texas ranch in 2020. However, significant medical and living expenses forced him to move from the ranch to an apartment near the hospital while he received treatment.

In December, actor James, known for shows like Varsity Blues, One Tree Hill, and CSI: Cyber, had to sell items from the set of Dawson’s Creek, earning $47,000.

The necklace Dawson Leery gave to Joey on the show recently sold for $26,628. Katie Holmes played Joey.

Items from Robin Williams’s son, Zachary Plemmon Dawson’s, bedroom – like an Indiana Jones model and an E.T. doll – fetched $5,991 at auction. A chair from the room sold for $2,663.

I’ve been holding onto these amazing items for so long, carefully waiting for the perfect moment to share them with the world, as Van Der Beek explained to People magazine when the auction was announced.

Given everything that’s been happening lately, it’s time to act.

He admitted to feeling a little nostalgic as he gave away items from his collection, but he was happy to share them with fans who had supported his career.

A year ago, the actor sold items from his film, Varsity Blues, to raise money for his own cancer treatment and to help others battling the disease.

In September 2025, James received support from his colleagues, who organized a charity event to help him.

Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, and Joshua Jackson – known for their roles on Dawson’s Creek – came together to read the show’s first episode as a script. They did this to raise money for James’ medical care and to support the charity F Cancer.

James was scheduled to attend the event, but unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute because he wasn’t feeling well.

Shortly before James passed away in January, Paul Walter Hauser, known for his role in Cobra Kai, publicly stated he was collecting donations to help cover James’ medical expenses. Whether the two men knew each other isn’t clear.

James Van Der Beek has been selling items from his acting career to help cover the costs of his colorectal cancer treatment, and that bothered me, Hauser, 39, shared on Instagram. As an actor and a father of three, I want my kids to have keepsakes from my work one day – things like props, costumes, and memorabilia.

‘I wouldn’t want to auction off a Stingray shirt or Marvel script to make ends meet for treatment.’

The actor announced he’ll be auctioning off not only his own personal items and autographs, but also those from his famous friends like Josh Gad, Becky Lynch, and Jimmy Kimmel, along with many other celebrities.

I was so touched to hear about the Van Der Beek family’s situation, and I’m really inspired by Hauser’s dedication! He promised yesterday that he’s going to keep working hard with Cameo to raise as much money as possible to help them through this. It’s amazing to see him really putting in the effort.

He wrote: ‘Thanks for the body of work and for being one of the good guys.’

James became famous in the 1990s at age 20, playing the popular teen character Dawson Leery on the show Dawson’s Creek.

The show aired on the WB Network from 1998 to 2003, lasting six seasons, and helped make stars out of Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson.

Even while undergoing treatment, James was able to film one last part. He played a supporting character in Elle, a movie inspired by the Legally Blonde series starring Reese Witherspoon.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I’m SO excited! Reese Witherspoon is producing a Legally Blonde prequel, and they’ve cast Lexi Minetree as young Elle Woods! I already know she’s going to be absolutely perfect – I can’t even handle how amazing this is going to be! I’ve been following every update, and honestly, it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of!

James plays Dean Wilson, who is running for mayor and also works as a school superintendent. He filmed his part in May 2025, and the series will be available on Prime Video starting July 1, 2026.

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2026-02-12 13:19