James Van Der Beek was a loving dad to his six children.
James and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, tied the knot in August 2010 and became parents the following month when they welcomed daughter Olivia. The couple expanded their family two years later with the arrival of son Joshua.
In 2014, Kimberly gave birth to the pair’s third child, Annabel. They later welcomed daughters Emilia and Gwendolyn in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Kimberly suffered two miscarriages before welcoming their rainbow baby, son Jeremiah, in October 2021.
James revealed in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. Amid his health struggles, the actor opened up about how much being a dad meant to him.
“Being a father has been the most treasured honor of my life. Thank you to my kids for re-teaching me how to live, laugh, love, and show up in my own life and in the world,” James wrote via Instagram in June 2025. “And thank you to my super hero of a wife @vanderkimberly who constantly exceeds the boundaries of what I thought was human capacity. I love you all with all my heart.”
James died in February 2026 at age 48 following his battle with cancer. He is survived by Kimberly and their six kids.
Keep scrolling to get to know James’ children:
Olivia Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek welcomed their first child, Olivia, in September 2010. Olivia made her TV debut in February 2024 on the music competition show We Are Family alongside her dad. Olivia participated as a contestant on the series where celebrity relatives show off their own musical talents and the audience guesses who their relative could be.
“When I was 15, I first told my mom I wanted to audition professionally. She didn’t hold me back. She took me to NYC and she walked me through it,” James wrote via Instagram following their appearance. “So when the opportunity to do #WeAreFamilyFox came up and my 13-year-old lit up like a carbon copy of me at that age. I let her put herself on tape. I got her some voice lessons. And I walked her through it. She’d never sung in front of people before. So proud of my baby girl.”
The following year, James celebrated Olivia’s milestone 15th birthday as it was the same age his character in Dawson’s Creek was in the pilot.
“My oldest turned 15 today. Same age that Dawson was in the pilot,” he captioned a clip of Olivia on stage at the Dawson’s Creek reunion that James was unable to attend due to illness. “To watch you stand there in that red dress, so confidently taking center stage amidst all those people I’ve known so long and cherish so deeply … I’m just left in awe.”
Joshua Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek welcomed their first son, Joshua, in March 2012. Following Joshua’s arrival, James exclusively told Luxury Handbag Shopping his little one’s moniker was not inspired by his Dawson’s Creek costar Joshua Jackson.
“It would have been cute, but no, it’s something I did not even think about. It’s a great name,” he told Us in April 2012.
Annabel Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek expanded their family with daughter Annabel in January 2014. While celebrating Annabel’s 10th birthday in January 2024, the actor posted a sweet tribute in honor of his little girl.
“The second we got to meet you, I knew we were in for an adventure. And while you clearly know fun … it’s the purity of your heart at which I marvel,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “Your sincerity, your kindness, and the depth with which you care is so reliable, it sets the bar for the whole family.”
James continued, “And what I’ve appreciated as you’ve gotten older is your honesty: How bravely you’ve expressed the feelings and emotions that don’t get celebrated in an IG post. Keep it coming, kid … I’m here for all of it.”
Emilia Van Der Beek
Emilia is James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek’s fourth child. She was born in March 2016. In 2021, James and Kimberly took Emilia to the emergency room after she hit her head on a table.
“Not terrible but not an air heal situation,” Kimberly shared via her Instagram Story at the time alongside a snap of Emilia with the doctor. “She breathed through it all, and the doctors and nurses here have had a 100 percent success rate with us of handling situations with fully informed decision offerings, friendliness and care. These two were scared and immediately comforted and immediately commented out the door how ‘amazing’ they were.”
Gwendolyn Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek’s daughter Gwendolyn arrived in June 2018. In December 2020, James shared a funny Instagram video of Gwendolyn, who was 2 years old at the time, saying her first curse word.
“What did you say?” James asked his daughter and one of his other children replied, “She’s saying the F-word.”
After Kimberly asked if she learned the swear from James, the actor quipped, “Please please please tell me it’s not too late to submit for ‘Parents of the Year.’”
Jeremiah Van Der Beek
After suffering multiple miscarriages, Kimberly Van Der Beek gave birth to her and James Van Der Beek rainbow baby Jeremiah in October 2021. While celebrating Jeremiah’s 4th birthday in October 2025, James opened up about not being able to be the father he wanted to be amid his battle with cancer.
“I’m sorry there have been spells where I couldn’t be the father I would want to be for you … where I was too weak to pick you up, throw you around, or even put you to bed … but know that watching you reveal yourself to us has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” James wrote via Instagram. “And even though you’re stingy with the hugs… when you do decide to wrap those thick little arms around my neck, it’s like time has stood still and all is right with the world.”
