Kimberly Van Der Beek’s Heartbreaking 3-Month Tribute

Three months have passed since James Van Der Beek died, and his wife Kimberly is letting the world know exactly where she stands in her grief — raw, aching, and somehow still holding onto something like hope.

On May 12, Kimberly Van Der Beek posted a deeply personal message on Instagram, sharing a series of photos of herself, James, and their six children. “Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames,” she wrote. “To say I’m heartbroken is a severe understatement. Words just don’t capture what grief is. The comforts of shock have worn off. The reality is settling in … and I miss him. We all miss him.”

It’s the kind of honesty that stops you mid-scroll.

James, the beloved Dawson’s Creek star, died on February 11 at 48 after battling stage 3 colorectal cancer — a diagnosis he had publicly announced in November 2024. His family confirmed his passing that morning, sharing a statement through his Instagram: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”

“I Feel Him. I Know Him More Deeply.”

What makes Kimberly’s tribute so striking is that it doesn’t stop at heartbreak. Alongside the grief, she describes something harder to name — a closeness to James that has grown, not faded, since his death.

“Yet, there is a different kind of magic in the air,” she wrote. “I feel him. I know him more deeply. My conscious connection to God has deepened. The veils of the universe have thinned. And I trust that this is the path me and my family have always been intended to walk.”

She closed the post with gratitude for the enormous wave of support that has surrounded her family. “The outpouring of support has been tremendous. It’s held our family in the most beautiful of ways. You all went absolutely above and beyond anything I could have ever expected in supporting us and honoring James,” she wrote. “I am deeply grateful. There is so much more to share here. And in time — I will.”

The comments filled quickly with love. Olivia Munn wrote, “❤️🕊️ Flying high and watching over,” while Nikki Reed posted, “Wrapping my arms around you and those beautiful babies❤️ I love you so much🙏🏼❤️” James’ former Dancing with the Stars partner Emma Slater added simply, “Love and adore you so much @vanderkimberly.”

The Final Days, and the Months Since

In the weeks following James’ death, Kimberly shared a detail that has stayed with many fans: one week after he passed, she revealed that she and James had quietly renewed their vows in their final days together. “We decided two days beforehand and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles and we renewed our vows from bed,” she told People on February 17. Musician Poranguí was there and played live, including a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She called it “simple and beautiful.”

In the months since, Kimberly has marked family milestones with quiet tributes to the man who isn’t there to share them. When their daughter Emilia turned 10 in late March, she posted a photo of James cuddling up to her with the words: “Just a few heavenly months ago. Missing you my love.”

The couple, who married in 2010, share six children: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 10, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.

James’ Dawson’s Creek co-star Joshua Jackson has also spoken about the loss. “I think it hits in a variety of different ways, and so for me, as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague,” Jackson said during a March appearance on the Today show. “He and I shared this amazing time where that clip comes from at a very young point in our life and it was formational for us, and I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness.”

A GoFundMe organized for James and Kimberly’s six children has raised more than $1 million — a reflection of just how deeply the actor touched people who grew up watching him.

“There is so much more to share,” Kimberly promised her followers. “And in time — I will.”