GoFundMe donations for the family of the late “Dawsons Creek” star James Van Der Beek are nearly double what the family sought following his death this week from colorectal cancer, based on the amount noted Friday.
As of 4 a.m. Friday, $$2,127,736 had been donated. Friends of his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children –ages 4 to 15 — launched the GoFundMe account shortly after his death Wednesday at age 48 with a goal of raising $1.5 million to offset the family’s “uncertain future” after the actor’s “medical care and the extended fight against cancer … left the family out of funds.”
“They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time,” they noted in the campaign appeal “The support of friends, family, and the wider community will make a world of difference as they navigate the road ahead.”
Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg was among the top donor’s, adding $25,000 to the fund. Van Der Beek’s “Dawson’s Creek” character, Dawson Leery, was an aspiring filmmaker who idolized the legendary director during the show’s run from 1998 to 2003.
Other donors have included “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu and President Donald Trump’s ex-wife, actress Marla Maples, whose Marla Maples Foundation contributed $5,000.
In addition to the hit WB show Van Der Beek also had leading role in the 1999 film “Varsity Blues,” he also appeared in the ABC sitcom “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” which ran from 2012-13, playing a fictionalized version of himself; “CSI: Cyber” as an FBI agent and on the FX drama “Pose” in its first season in 2018.
Van Der Beek, a native of Connecticut, was born in 1977, was the oldest of three children.
He first announced his cancer diagnosis in November 2024, telling People magazine “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
Survivors include his wife and six children — Emilia, Annabel Leah, Joshua, Gwendolyn, Jeremiah and Olivia.
The family’s GoFundMe account it at.gofundme.com/f/support-for-james-van-der-beeks-family.