Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, donated $25,000 to a GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek’s family.
The couple made a large donation Thursday, with Spielberg and Capshaw listed among the fundraiser’s top donors, according to their GoFundMe page.
Spielberg has ties to Van Der Beek, who died Wednesday after a nearly three-year battle with colorectal cancer, through his role in the hit WB series “Dawson’s Creek.”
Van der Beek played Dawson Leary, an aspiring film director who admires Spielberg.
The “Jurassic Park” director also made a surprise appearance at the “Dawson’s Creek” reunion in September 2025, when Van Der Beek was forced to withdraw due to health issues. Spielberg created a video for a charity event held in partnership with F Cancer.
“Dawson, well done,” Spielberg said in the video. “Maybe someday we’ll have a closet for the Dawsons.”
Friends of Van Der Beek set up a GoFundMe on Wednesday for his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabelle, 12, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.
The GoFundMe said the family was “strapped for funds” and faced an “uncertain future” due to expenses associated with van der Beek’s illness.
“They are working hard to stay home and allow their children to continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time,” the GoFundMe page reads, sharing that donations will help families cover essential living expenses, pay bills, and support their children’s education.
The GoFundMe had raised more than $1.9 million as of Thursday. Celebrities who have donated include Zoe Saldana, who has set up a monthly donation of $2,500, as well as Derek Hough, Ricki Lake, Lydia Hearst and Kaley Cuoco.
Kimberly said Wednesday morning that her husband “passed away peacefully” and “met his final days with courage, faith and grace.”
Since then, the Varsity Blues star’s closest friends, including Alfonso Ribeiro, have shared his heartbreaking final moments.
The Dancing with the Stars host posted a photo of his “last moments” with Van Der Beek, in which he appeared visibly emotional as he cradled her head.
“My last moment was to make him laugh one last time,” he wrote. “I really miss him already.”
