James Van Der Beek received a huge tax bill before his death

The star’s rep was forced to clarify that the family had only just purchased their ranch, thanks to friends who offered to help with down payments, converting their lease into a mortgage.

Van Der Beek and Kimberly moved their family to Spicewood, Texas from Los Angeles in 2020.

The decision to move was influenced by their children, with the late father-of-six saying in a 2021 interview that he wanted them to be closer to nature.

“We wanted to give the children space and we wanted them to live in nature,” he said at the time.

Van Der Beek and his wife share daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, and Gwendolyn, seven, as well as sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, four.