Support continues to pour in for James Van Der Beek as a GoFundMe created to support his wife Kimberly and their six children with living expenses, bills, and the children’s education has now surpassed $2 million.
The fundraising effort gained renewed attention after actor Dave Annable shared a heartfelt video message Van Der Beek had once sent him following a “Dancing with the Stars” performance event in 2023. Annable revealed that Van Der Beek had been unable to attend at the time due to ongoing treatment, but still made sure to send his encouragement. In an emotional tribute, Annable described his late friend as “the most supportive, generous, giving, loving cheerleader in the midst of a battle for his health.”
Annable’s wife, Odette Annable, also paid tribute in an emotional post, remembering Van Der Beek as a devoted husband to Kimberly and father to their children, and shared a link encouraging donations.
The fundraiser received a major boost thanks in part to a $25,000 donation from legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, a meaningful nod for longtime fans who remember that Spielberg was Dawson Leery’s favorite director on “Dawson’s Creek.” Spielberg even sent a video message that was played at the cast’s reunion last September, where proceeds from the event also went toward helping Van Der Beek and his family.
According to the GoFundMe page, the financial strain of medical care has been overwhelming. Funds raised will support Van Der Beek’s wife and their children as they rebuild their lives.
Van Der Beek had long been candid about the financial realities behind his Hollywood career. In a past appearance on “Good Morning America,” he spoke openly about selling memorabilia from “Varsity Blues” to help cover expenses.
“Cancer’s expensive. It’s really… even with insurance,” he said at the time. “And so I’ll be paying some medical bills and hoping to find an organization that helps families just deal with the financial burden of it.”
While playing Dawson Leery for five seasons made him a household name, financial security did not automatically follow. In a 2012 interview with Today.com, Van Der Beek reflected on signing a difficult contract early in his career. “I was 20. It was a bad contract. I saw almost nothing from that,” he said.
More recently, in 2023, he spoke out about the realities facing actors during the SAG and writers’ strikes, pointing to the disappearance of residuals in the streaming era.
“Things like residuals, which have all but disappeared in the streaming era,” he said at the time. “These are nothing to multi-billion dollar corporations, but they’re everything to people trying to pay the groceries and pay the rent.”
Now, as friends, colleagues, and fans continue to honor his legacy and support his family, the GoFundMe campaign stands as a testament to the impact Van Der Beek made both on and off screen.
