Kerr Smith is mourning the death of former Dawson’s Creek costar James Van Der Beek.
“I’m so grateful for being able to call James a brother. I’ll miss him deeply. Rest easy,” Smith, 53, wrote alongside a red heart in the comments section of the Instagram post announcing Van Der Beek’s death on Wednesday, February 11.
James’ wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared via Instagram on Wednesday that the actor died after a battle with colorectal cancer.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” Kimberly wrote alongside a photo of James. “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.”
James shared his diagnosis in 2024, one year before the cast of Dawson’s Creek reunited to raise money for F Cancer. James, however, was absent from the event while battling an illness. (The series followed a group of close-knit teens navigating high school and beyond.)
Despite James being missing from the event, Smith explained that he still felt close to his former costar after doing fan conventions together through the years.
“Doing these cons with him these past couple of years, I’ve really gotten to know James all over again. This time as 50-something year olds, rather than kids,” Smith shared during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in November 2025.
As for their friendship, Smith explained that it hadn’t made James’ health battle easier.
“This whole thing he’s gone through has kinda hit me hard. It’s been tough. To see a friend and a peer go through all of this — especially with the family he has, which is so awesome,” Smith said.
James, for his part, had been candid about his friendships with his Dawson’s Creek costars. In 2025, he shared that the cast recently reconnected.
“We all went our separate ways and, you know, just didn’t speak for years because we’re just living our lives and doing our things,” James said on Jana Kramer’s “Whine Down” podcast in March 2025. “And to just reconnect and be like, ‘Oh, wow. I love who you’ve become’… [has] been so great. It’s just been so great to talk to them and catch up with who they are now, this many years out, and to have that shared experience from back in the day.”
Months later, Smith shared that he knew about James’ diagnosis “a couple years back.”
“It hit me pretty hard, I gotta be honest. James and I have had a friendship that’s been off and on over the years, but at these conventions, it’s been interesting to get to know him all over again,” Smith told Us at the time. “As adults, the relationship is completely different. We were kids back then, it was totally just a different scenario.”
He continued: “For me, it’s been a really special thing for me to be able to redevelop a friendship. He is doing well, his spirits are good and the guy’s amazing.”
Read the full article here
