James Van Der Beek felt the support of his friends in the days leading up to his death.
After news broke that the Dawson’s Creek alum died on Wednesday, February 11, at age 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer, tributes from his loved ones poured in, with some featuring photos from Van Der Beek’s final days.
Stacy Keibler shared a picture that showed her kneeling beside Van Der Beek as he sat in a wheelchair watching the sunset.
“Spending these final days with you has been a true gift from God. I have never been so present in my life,” the former WWE star, 46, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday. “When you know time is sacred, you don’t waste a single breath. You don’t rush. You don’t scroll. You don’t worry about tomorrow. You sit. You listen. You hold hands. You watch the sky change colors and you let it change you too.”
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She continued: “In these past days, you taught me more about being present than any book ever could. You showed me what it looks like to trust God’s plan, even when it breaks your heart. Especially when it breaks your heart. The other night we watched the sunset together as you shared your wisdom, your hopes and the promises we made to each other. We talked about how this world can feel upside down … and how maybe heaven needs your spirit now to help steady us down here. And just as the sun slipped away, a shooting star crossed the sky … as if to remind us that none of this is random.”
Courtesy Stacy Keibler/Instagram
While complimenting Van Der Beek’s skills as a husband and father, Keibler noted that for her, it had “been an honor to stand beside your family in these sacred moments.”
Keibler also pointed out Van Der Beek’s enduring positivity amid his grueling health battle.
“It’s pretty incredible how someone can fight so hard for so long, travel the world battling so much and somehow still look so handsome doing it. That smile never left you,” she recalled. “You have given this world so many gifts. Your presence was a bright light in my life and in so many others. And while your physical body may no longer be here, I know your spirit is doing big things. I feel it already.”
Keibler concluded by sharing how she will choose to remember Van Der Beek.
“I will think of you every time I watch a sunset. Every time I see a rainbow stretch across the sky. I’ll know you’re there,” she wrote. “And maybe the lesson you leave us with is this: The present moment is everything. Love the people in front of you. Say the words. Watch the sunset. Trust God, even when you don’t understand. Thank you for changing me. I will carry you with me. Always.”
Meanwhile, Erin Fetherston posted a photo of herself at Van Der Beek’s bedside as the two held hands and smiled brightly at each other.
“Thank you for your friendship,” the designer, 44, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday. “For always showing up. For being the one who would go the extra mile.”
She added: “What an honor it was to have a seat at your table and to call you a best friend. The space you leave behind can never be filled, but we will do our best to shower your beautiful family with love and remember to keep dancing in your honor—because you always knew the importance of joy. We love you. Always.”
Alfonso Ribeiro and Mehcad Brooks were also among the friends who spent time with Van Der Beek in his final days.
“Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me,” Ribeiro, 54, noted in a Wednesday Instagram post, while Brooks, 45, commented on the social media platform, “Being there with you these past days has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023 and went public with his illness in November 2024. His family confirmed his death via Instagram on Wednesday.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” the statement read. “He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. 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.”
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