She urged her 2.4m followers to help out his family through the online fundraiser that they had set up to help with medical bills and other expenses.
The GoFundMe page posted online on Wednesday solicited donations to assist Van Der Beek’s widow Kimberley and their six children, whose ages range from four to 15.
“I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children,” Philipps said, sharing photos from their time on the teen drama, which aired between 1998 and 2003.
Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Van Der Beek’s mother on Dawson’s Creek shared an Instagram tribute in honour of her late co-star on Wednesday.
“Rarely am I at a loss for words … today would be the exception. James, my gracious warrior, you fought a hard battle against all odds with such quiet strength and dignity,” she wrote alongside two photos of them together.
“I will always love and admire you for that. Our last conversations … merely a few days ago … are forever sitting softly in my heart for safe keeping. To our extended Dawson’s Creek family of friends, please be respectful of our silences at the moment as Beautiful Kimberly and family have asked for peaceful privacy for now.”
Philipps and Van Der Beek reunited onscreen in 2012 for an episode of the ABC comedy Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, in which Van Der Beek played a fictionalised version of himself.
Actress Krysten Ritter, Van Der Beek’s co-star in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, remembered him as a “beautiful human inside and out”.
Ritter wrote on Instagram: “Smart, funny, empathic, kind, talented and just pure magic. I’m so grateful for our friendship and so heartbroken. All my love goes out to his amazing wife Kimberly and their children.”
“Love you so much James and fake James,” she added.