{"id":464293,"date":"2026-02-12T13:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/464293\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T13:56:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:56:07","slug":"dawsons-creek-alum-mary-margaret-humes-pays-tribute-to-james-van-der-beek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/464293\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Dawson’s Creek’ Alum Mary-Margaret Humes Pays Tribute To James Van Der Beek"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAs James Van Der Beek<\/a>\u2018s fans and loved ones mourn his death, his Dawson\u2019s Creek family is paying tribute.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn Wednesday, the late actor\u2019s onscreen mother Mary-Margaret Humes remembered Van Der Beek\u2019s \u201cquiet strength and dignity\u201d after he died at age 48<\/a> after revealing his colorectal cancer diagnosis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cRarely am I at a loss for words\u2026 today would be the exception,\u201d wrote<\/a> Humes, who starred on the WB soap as Gail Leery. \u201cJames, my gracious warrior, you fought a hard battle against all odds with such quiet strength and dignity. I will always love and admire you for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHumes continued, \u201cOur last conversations\u2026 merely a few days ago\u2026 are forever sitting softly in my heart for safe keeping. To our extended Dawson\u2019s Creek family of friends\u2026 please be respectful of our silences at the moment as Beautiful Kimberly and family have asked for peaceful privacy for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBusy Philipps, who played Audrey Liddell in the final two seasons of the show\u2019s 1998-2003 run, also penned a statement.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMy heart is deeply hurting for all of us today\u2026 every person who knew James and loved him, anyone who loved his work or had the pleasure of meeting him, all of his dear friends and community that surrounded him as he battled this illness, especially his parents and brother and sister,\u201d she wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cBut I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSharing a link to a GoFundMe<\/a> set up for his family, Philipps added, \u201cJames Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and i don\u2019t know what else to say. I am just so so sad. He was my friend and I loved him and i\u2019m so grateful for our friendship all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tVan Der Beek made his breakout performance on Dawson\u2019s Creek as the titular high school film buff Dawson Leery, who navigates adolescence with his best friends Joey (Katie Holmes), Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jen (Michelle Williams). Created by Kevin Williamson, the series ran for six seasons on The WB.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe are deeply saddened by the passing of James Van Der Beek,\u201d the official Dawson\u2019s Creek IG account wrote. \u201cHis iconic portrayal of Dawson Leery helped define a generation of television for fans and continues to resonate with audiences today. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n