James Van Der Beek says his youngsters have develop into his surprising caretakers amid his journey with colon most cancers.
The “Dawson’s Creek” alum publicly shared the information of his prognosis final November.
“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” Van Der Beek, 48, completely informed Individuals on the time. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
The “Varsity Blues” star has been married to his spouse, Kimberly Van Der Beek (née Brook), since 2010. The couple share six youngsters: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.
Throughout his July 30 look on the “Today” present, Van Der Beek recalled the expertise of discussing his prognosis along with his children.
“I’m far from an expert, but our approach was just to be as honest as possible, as honest to the degree of their understanding,” he defined.
“They know. They can sense that Dad’s having a tough day. They know if Dad’s in pain,” he continued. “By not telling them, I think you’re confusing them even more.”
Van Der Beek mentioned he’s realized that youngsters are sometimes stronger than adults give them credit score for.
“Allow yourself to be surprised by their resiliency,” he mentioned. “When you tell them what you’re doing, and you tell them the approach, they can see it, and they can feel it. And I think it’s also that your journey is their journey.”
He spoke about how his youngsters have supported him by means of his journey, urging others to not “rob them of the opportunity to show up for you.”
“I have [my] kids making me tea. ‘Dad, what do you need?’ There’s been a lot of beauty that’s come out of it,” he mentioned.
In an Instagram video posted on March 8, Van Der Beek opened up about being away from his household whereas present process remedy.
“I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife,” he defined within the clip. “I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.”
Van Der Beek’s spouse was within the studio throughout his look on the “Today” present on Wednesday and appeared briefly on display screen.
Regardless of his battle, he mentioned he’s “feeling great” in the meanwhile.
“There are just so many ups and downs and so many unknowns,” he defined. “Cancer is — I call it a full-time job.”
Van Der Beek is continuous to work regardless of the prognosis, having simply completed filming “Elle,” a “Legally Blonde” prequel sequence slated for launch on Prime Video in summer time 2026.
