James Van Der Beek has addressed comments over his appearance following the recent Dawson’s Creek reunion back in September
The 48-year-old actor played Dawson Leery on the hit TV show and raised $47,000 for his cancer treatment by auctioning off props.
He issued fans with a health update in a brand-new interview with the Today show's Craig Melvin, which aired earlier today (19 December).
While the father-of-six wasn't able to physically attend the Dawson's Creek reunion three months ago after coming down with a stomach virus, he did appear via video with a pre-recorded message to fans with Melvin explaining that 'a lot of folks were worried' after seeing his noticeably gaunt appearance.
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"I’d lost so much weight because of the stomach virus, yeah," Van Der Beek explained. "No, it was not cancer-related. Although with cancer everything’s like, 'Why don’t we super size that stomach virus?'"
Van Der Beek's wife Kimberly, and their six children attended the event in his place.
"As crushed as I was not being able to go to that Dawson’s Creek reunion, my family got to go. And I was Zooming in on that night and they got a standing ovation just for taking their seats," Van Der Beek beamed.
"And all that love that would have otherwise been directed at me, was directed at my family. It was just one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever gotten to witness. I’m just so grateful to the fans for doing that."
The actor announced in November 2024 that he'd been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. He was diagnosed back in late 2023 following a routine screening that revealed a tumour.
He told PEOPLE Magazine at the time: "I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."
He also shared an Instagram reel to break the news to fans at the time, which he captioned: "It is cancer... Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them."
Van Der Beek continued: "There’s no playbook for how to 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."
The NHS explains that bowel cancer is cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum. It's one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.
Those diagnosed with colorectal cancer may be offered a combination of treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted medicines, and early treatment is key to avoiding the dangerous cells spreading elsewhere in the body.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Topics: Celebrity, Cancer, TV And Film, Health
Rhiannon Ingle