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James Van Der Beek has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The veteran actor himself revealed as much via an interview with 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,” the 47-year old said, adding:
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
Colorectal cancer — which starts in the colon or the rectum — is one of the most serious forms of this awful illness.
We aren’t privy to the details in Van Der Beek’s case, but the five-year survival rate is around 64 percent overall.
Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly have six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
The actor will forever be best known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, but he recently appeared on an episode of Walker and the Tubi original film Sidelined: The QB and Me.
This week, James opened about up about what he’s learned from his battle with cancer:
“I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife,” Van Der Beek said in an Instagram video. “I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.”
“I was faced with the question, ‘If I am just a too-skinny, weak guy, alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I?’
“I am worthy of God’s love simply because I exist. And if I’m worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I also be worthy of my own?” he added.
“As I move through this healing portal toward recovery,” Van Der Beek continued, “I wanted to share that with you because that revelation that came to me was in no small part to all the prayers and the love that had been directed toward me.”
Shortly after People published its initial exclusive with Van Der Beek, he released a lengthy statement on social media that served as an apology to loved ones who first found out he had cancer by reading about it online.
“Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” he wrote.
“There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms.
“But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
Continued the television personality:
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.
“Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.
Last year, James appeared on The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special where a group of male celebrities will strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
And for now, while he navigates this challenging journey, the actor is spending as much time as he can with his family and trying to keep things as normal as he can.
“I made all my own costumes growing up,” the Varsity Blues alum wrote in a 2024 Halloween post, which featured him, his spouse and a few of their youngest children trick or treating.
“Didn’t really have a choice. But I loved it. Should probably have been the first warning sign to my parents that I would end up an actor.”
We send our very best wishes to James Van Der Beek.
