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James Van Der Beek continues to receive unwavering support from his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, as he navigates his battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. After the actor posted a message of gratitude on Instagram on November 24, Kimberly quickly echoed her encouragement in the comments. "You're a wizard. Bouncing back baby!!" she wrote, celebrating what she sees as his growing strength.
In his recent post, the Dawson's Creek star appeared upbeat while wearing the white-and-blue away game jersey from his 1999 film Varsity Blues. Van Der Beek explained that the jersey is part of a new effort to raise funds for his treatment. "By popular demand! My favorite jersey," he wrote, sharing a video of himself tossing a football and displaying the shirt, which features the name "Moxon" and the number 4. He thanked fans for their steady encouragement: "Thank you—for the love, the prayers, the support, and for making this jersey mean something far bigger than a movie. Endlessly grateful for all of you." He added that proceeds from the signed jerseys will also support "families walking the same path."
Van Der Beek, who shares six children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah—with Kimberly, has been candid about his diagnosis since revealing it in November 2024. He noted that although he had hoped to keep the news private longer, he chose to speak publicly after learning "a tabloid was going to run with the news." Still, he emphasized that "There's reason for optimism, and I'm feeling good."
In addition to the jersey sale, the actor recently announced he is auctioning memorabilia from Dawson's Creek to help cover treatment costs. "I've been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them," he explained. "With all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it's clear that the time is now." He admitted that "nostalgia tugging" accompanied the decision, as the items include original costumes, props, and notable pieces such as the necklace Dawson gave Joey and the outfit worn in the series' pilot.
Earlier this fall, several of his former Dawson's Creek castmates—including Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson and Busy Philipps—held a live reunion event to support him.
