Van Der Beek\u2019s wife, Kimberly, announced his death after a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer<\/a> in an Instagram post<\/a> on Feb. 11.<\/p>\n While attending the 2026 Actor Awards<\/a> at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1, Williams, 45, revealed how his death has impacted her.<\/p>\n Asked if Van Der Beek was on her mind as she collected an award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for her role in FX\u2019s Dying for Sex, Williams replied that she was “thinking about him and…his family constantly.”<\/p>\n Michelle Williams at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA held at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall Williams added to Entertainment Tonight<\/a>, \u201cI also just want to say it\u2019s been such an amazing thing as James is a friend and a friend of the family to see the response in the wake of his passing.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued: \u201cI just really want to say thank you to each and every person who has contributed to sustaining their lives and their children\u2019s lives. It\u2019s an incredibly meaningful thing to witness.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams was referencing a GoFundMe<\/a> created to raise money for Van Der Beek\u2019s family in the wake of his death, which raised over $1.3 million within 24 hours<\/a> of being established. According to the description on the fundraising website, the appeal was to cover \u201cthe costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer,” which has left his family “out of funds.” As of March 2, the total raised stands at $2.75 million.<\/p>\n Williams appeared on the red carpet at the event alongside husband Thomas Kail<\/a>, with whom she shares three children<\/a>. She also has a daughter from a previous relationship with the late Heath Ledger<\/a>.<\/p>\n The actress was 16 when she joined the cast of Dawson\u2019s Creek as Jen Lindley, while Van Der Beek was 20 when he began starring as Dawson Leery in the coming-of-age series.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery, Michelle Williams as Jennifer Lindley, ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Van Der Beek first announced his cancer diagnosis exclusively to PEOPLE<\/a> in 2024, saying he was focusing on his health and \u201cincredible\u201d family. The actor and his wife, Kimberly, shared six children<\/a>: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9\u00bd, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.<\/p>\n When the actor died at age 48, Kimberly shared a portrait of him standing outdoors on Instagram <\/a>alongside a message about his final days.<\/p>\n “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” Kimberly wrote in the touching post on Feb. 11. “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.<\/p>\n \u201cThose days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend, \u201c she concluded.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Michelle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4abebb457e2d1f422140bf9411c104fc.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Earl Gibson III\/Deadline via Getty<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6a5ccdd206e967f584e274f317e70173.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: ABACA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n