"In a statement shared on the actor's social media pages, Van Der Beek's family said that he "passed peacefully" on the morning of 11 February. "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend," they wrote."
"The funds will be used to support Van Der Beek's wife Kimberly and his six children to recuperate funds lost while paying for Van Der Beek's medical care. The actor, who became a global household name with his role as Dawson Leery on The WB's teen drama Dawson's Creek in the late 1990s, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in August 2023, but didn't disclose his illness publicly until November 2024."
"Among the LGBTQ+ community, Van Der Beek was celebrated for his allyship, having spoken out in support of gay marriage prior to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which legalised same-sex marriage. In a Facebook post, shared in 2013, the actor wrote: "I'm confused... how is two gay people getting married a threat to my marriage? Am I doing it""
James Van Der Beek died peacefully on the morning of 11 February at age 48, two-and-a-half years after a colorectal cancer diagnosis. His family requested privacy while noting there is more to share about his wishes and love for humanity. A GoFundMe has raised over $1.2 million to support his wife Kimberly and six children and to recuperate funds lost to medical care. Van Der Beek rose to fame as Dawson Leery on Dawson's Creek and appeared in Varsity Blues and Don't Trust the B-- in Apartment 23. He was a noted LGBTQ+ ally who supported gay marriage and worked on projects with significant transgender representation.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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