James Van Der Beek hugs wife Kimberly after talking about weight loss
Jacobus Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beekenjoy the holidays.
Kimberly, 43, took over Instagram on Sunday, December 21, to share a cozy photo of James, 48, with his arm around her. “Me and my bae @vanderjames,” she captioned the cheerful photo, which appeared to be taken outside their Texas ranch.
The photo, which shows James dressed in a warm winter knit paired with loose trousers and Kimberly in a full-length cherry red dress, comes just days after the actor publicly addressed fans’ concerns about the significant weight he has lost during his two-year battle with cancer.
Interviewed for the Friday, December 19 episode of the Today show, James touched on fans’ concerns after speaking about his absence from the Dawson’s Creek live reading performed in New York City in September. “I lost so much weight because of the stomach virus,” he said on the show, clarifying that the change in his appearance “was not cancer related.”
James added: “Although with cancer it’s all like, ‘Why don’t we make that stomach virus bigger?'”
The interview also included James’ reflections on his health as he recalled the moment he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which he publicly announced in November 2024. “I went into shock. But you know, one of the things that I was really lucky about was that as soon as I heard the news, I thought, ‘This will be the best thing that will ever happen to me.’ … I had a little voice in my head that said, ‘You’re going to make changes in your life that you would never make if you didn’t have this extreme diagnosis, and it will add healthy, happy years to your life,’” he said.
James attributed important life lessons to his cancer journey. “I don’t think I knew before what it was to slow down… to really look at everything I eat, everything I put into my body. Really, the biggest change I would say would be this journey of self-love. What I realized was that I am still worthy of love. My own love, God’s love,” he explained.
James Van Der Beek is paying tribute to his loved ones amid his battle with stage III colorectal cancer. Reflecting on his “tough year” after receiving the diagnosis, the actor, 47, showed gratitude for his wife, Kimberly, 42, and their six children (Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3). […]
The interview also detailed the support Kimberly and the couple’s six children — Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4 — have provided in the wake of his diagnosis.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for my wife,” he said. “She [Kimberly] has just risen as a caregiver, as a nurse, as head of the household. And then the children, as much as I want to protect them from seeing me in any kind of pain… you realize that resilience is not only something they have and can build, but that it is what is best for them.
James revealed his diagnosis in an Instagram post, noting that he had taken the time to share the news with fans. “I’ve been dealing with this privately so far, getting the treatment and managing my overall health with more focus than ever before,” the actor wrote in the November 2024 post. “I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite an initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready. … Please know that my family and I really appreciate all the love and support.”
