Katie Holmes is honoring her late ‘Dawson’s Creek’ costar with a heartfelt tribute.
The actress shared a moving handwritten letter on Instagram Wednesday following James Van Der Beek‘s death, recalling feeling safe to express herself on set with him. She wrote about their shared memories filled with “laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs,” and “adventures of a unique youth.”
She also praised his “compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength” before turning her attention to his widow Kimberly, and their six children, writing: “We are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion.”
Holmes and Van Der Beek starred on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ together from 1998 to 2003, with his titular character Dawson serving as an aspiring filmmaker whose love interest was Holmes’ Joey Potter. She’s just one of dozens of celebrities who’ve paid tribute, including costars Busy Philipps and Kerr Smith, along with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner, and Reese Witherspoon.
TMZ broke the news that Van Der Beek died Wednesday morning, with his family confirming his peaceful passing. He’d been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in mid-2023 and went public with the diagnosis in November 2024. The ‘Varsity Blues’ star left behind his wife and their six young children, who are set to be the beneficiaries of a GoFundMe created by family friends.
The fund, created to help offset costly cancer treatments that wiped out their finances, surpassed $1 million within hours and continues to climb.
He was 48.
View this post on Instagram