Dancing with the Stars star Emma Slater is mourning the death of James Van Der Beek.
Slater, who partnered with Van Der Beek on Season 28 of the reality series in 2019, commented Wednesday on Kimberly Van Der Beek’s Instagram post in which she shared the news of her husband’s death.
“I am so devastated. He is and always will be family to me,” Slater, 37, wrote.
“❤️ I love you so much, James,” she added.
Later that day, Slater paid tribute to van der Beek on his Instagram, posting a photo of the two smiling together on “DWTS.”
“My partner. My brother. Of the many photos we have taken over the years, this one remains my favorite,” Slater began his long message. “Dance and laugh. That’s what we do.”
“There doesn’t seem to be anything I can write about,” she continued. “Happy to everyone who was lucky enough to have you in their lives. Forever changed by your sparkle. We shared our lives and had these wonderful days together. It started as dance partners, so excited to dance with you, and it continued into the deepest friendship.”
Slater said Van Der Beek, his wife and six children “became a family” and helped her find “a lot of purpose in our small community.”
“Seeing your love for your family changed my life,” she said.
The one-time Mirrorball Trophy winner expressed her gratitude to Van Der Beek, highlighting his great qualities, including his “kindness”, “patience”, “empathy”, “wise advice” and ability to “master everything”.
Slater also revealed that he met the “Varsity Blues” actor three days before his death.
“I’m so grateful that I got to see you on Sunday, talk to you, and tell you how much I love you for the millionth time,” she wrote. “We laughed together, and we promised to always feel your presence, as I already feel.”
“I’m lucky to have known you as a person,” she continued. “You have done so much and helped so many people. You will remain in my heart forever and now I know that whenever I am guided, I will be guided by you 🤍 I love you partner.”
Van Der Beek and Slater finished in fifth place on season 28 of DWTS. Despite being one of the top contenders for the season, he was eliminated with one week left until the final match.
“The Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown and her partner Alan Bersten, who is currently dating Slater, won that season.
Just before Van Der Beek was eliminated from DWTS in November 2019, he revealed on the show that his wife had miscarried their sixth baby.
“He needed a show,” Slater told People magazine at the time about the tragedy. “He said to me, ‘I need a show. I’m grateful to have an outlet and a form of physical expression and to be able to keep that engine going and keep myself going. I need to feel normal and not fall into the pits.’
The couple eventually welcomed their sixth child, son Jeremiah, in October 2021.
Kimberly, 44, said Wednesday that her husband “passed away peacefully” after a battle with colorectal cancer.
The mother of six said Ms Van Der Beek “met her final days with courage, faith and grace”.
She also asked for “peaceful privacy as we grieve for our beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
