James Van Der Beek’s wife is remembering the late actor’s most iconic role by reposting an acoustic cover of the Dawson’s Creek theme song, ‘I Don’t Want To Wait.’
After announcing her husband’s death on February 11, Kimberly Van Der Beek returned to social media and posted a sweet tribute.
The song was originally sung by Paula Cole, but Alana Springsteen covered it along with Sarah Bears and Lauren LaRue in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“Rest in peace James Van Der Beek 🙏🏻💔This loss has hit me hard today. Many young girls lived behind his work,” the singer-songwriter wrote in a touching tribute.
“Praying for his beautiful family. If you feel called to help, there is a link in my profile to the donations his friends have begun to help with living expenses.”
Cole himself commented on Springsteen’s post, writing, “So beautiful. Tears, more tears. Thank you for honoring James and his family ❤️.”
Shortly after, Kimberly reshared the cover to her Instagram Story.
Kimberly announced on social media on Wednesday that her husband had passed away after a battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning,” she said heartbreakingly.
“He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. He has much to share about his wishes, his love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. That day will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” she added.
Shortly afterward, friends of the family set up a $500,000 GoFundMe page, noting that his medical bills had “left (his) family without funds.”
A GoFundMe created on Wednesday notes that Kimberly and the six children she shares – Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabelle, 12, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3 – are now “facing an uncertain future.”
“During his illness, the family did everything possible to support James and provide for his care, and as well as facing mental health challenges, they also faced significant financial burdens,” the page reads.
“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and her children face an uncertain future. James’ medical bills and long battle with cancer have left the family short on funds. They are staying home and working hard to help their children continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.”
Donations help cover essential living expenses for families, pay bills, and support children’s education.
More than $42,000 was raised within an hour.
As of Friday morning, the page had raised more than $2 million, and an update to the page thanked everyone for their donations.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming out for James and his beautiful family. Your kindness meant more than we can ever express. In the midst of deep grief, your support has been a light. It reminds us that love is real, community is strong, and James’s spirit continues to bring people together,” the update reads before requesting privacy for the family.
In addition to fans, many A-listers rallied around the family, including Zoe Saldaña, who set up a $2,500 monthly donation, the “Wicked” director who donated $10,000, and Steven Spielberg, who added $25,000 to the fund.
Back in 2012, James recalled that he got “almost nothing” from the CW drama series, which aired from 1998 to 2003.
“I didn’t have any money left,” he told Today.com, adding that he was “20 years old” at the time. “That was a bad deal,” he explained. “You could hardly see anything from there.”
Before his death in November, the “Varsity Blues” actor auctioned off his “Dawson’s Creek” memorabilia to raise funds for his cancer treatment.
He was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in August 2023.
