Michelle Williams is still mourning the loss of her friend and former “Dawson’s Creek” co-star James Van Der Beek.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 01: Michelle Williams attends the 32nd Annual Actor Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Williams won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for her performance in “Dying for Sex,” and spoke about Van Der Beek after her win.
“I’m thinking about him,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “And I’m thinking about his family constantly.”
“I also just want to say it’s 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,” she added.
Williams also addressed the GoFundMe that raised $2.75 million to support Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, and their six children.
“I just really want to say thank you to each and every person who has contributed to sustaining their lives and their children’s lives. It’s an incredibly meaningful thing to witness,” she said.
View of American actors James Van Der Beek (1977 – 2026) and Michelle Williams on the set of the television series ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ Wilmington, North Carolina, October 23, 1997. (Photo by Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images)
Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. 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,” Kimberly wrote on Instagram at the time.
FILE – James Van Der Beek arrives at the premiere of Prime Video Series “Overcompensating” at Hollywood Palladium on May 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Van Der Beek’s other famous friends paid tribute to him, including “Dawson’s Creek” co-star Katie Holmes.
“James, thank you. To share space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make-believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression,” Holmes wrote on Instagram.
FILE – James Van Der Beek attends the FOX Winter Press Day in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2024. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Her note continued, “These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs — adventures of a unique youth Bravery. Compassion. Selflessness. Strength. An appreciation for life and the action taken to live life with the integrity that life is art — creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children — the journey of a hero. I mourn this loss with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it.”
Follow us on Instagram @WeArePauseRewind for all your pop culture obsessions.