The entertainment world is mourning the loss of James Van Der Beek, who passed away on Wednesday after a courageous fight against colorectal cancer. The actor, best known for his role in “Dawson’s Creek,” leaves behind his wife, Kimberly, 44, and their six children. Friends and family have described the couple’s bond as “the greatest example of love I’ve ever known.”

Kimberly and James’s connection was profound and immediate, a love story that began in 2009 when they met during a trip to Israel. Their romance quickly blossomed, with Kimberly becoming pregnant just six months after their initial meeting. The couple became engaged soon after.

In a testament to their deep connection, the pair returned to Israel a year later, where they were married in a ceremony at the Kabbalah Centre in Tel Aviv in August 2010.

Recently, the Van Der Beek family embraced quality time together at their ranch in Texas. They cherished moments with their children: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, and Gwendolyn, seven, along with sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, four.

A year later, they returned to Israel where they tied the knot in August 2010 at the Kabbalah Centre in Tel Aviv. 

In recent months they had been making the most of spending quality time on their Texan ranch with their children – daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, and Gwendolyn, seven, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, four.

James Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly announced in an emotional statement on Wednesday that he had passed away at the age of 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer

But it was his love for wife Kimberly many of his celebrity friends remembered him most for, with pals branding the couple’s romance ‘the greatest example of love I’ve ever known’

James was never shy of declaring his love for film producer wife Kimberly, who he met shortly after the breakdown of his first marriage to Heather McComb. 

Just two years ago James and Kimberly celebrated their 10th anniversary and the actor penned a sweet tribute to ‘the woman who made the happiest I’d ever been’. 

James shared that when they met in 2009 he had finally come to the realisation that he was fed up being single and wanted to find his soul mate. He was in the midst of telling a friend about his relationship plans when a then-unknown to him Kimberly joined the conversation. 

He was infatuated with her, he said, but she was not looking to settle down – until fate intervened when Kimberly fell pregnant. 

James wrote: ‘This marriage has demanded I be more present, more honest, more authentic, more open, more patient, more passionate, daring, capable, fun, and vulnerable than I’ve ever been. And I’m still earning her. 

‘We’ve been through joy and pain and everything in between, and even at the height of our most impassioned arguments… she’s who I want by my side. 

‘Kimberly, you astound me. Your bravery, your tenderness, and your unwillingness to settle for anything less than what can and ought to be…. You’re the best human I know. I love you, and I look forward to earning your partnership for years to come. 

‘(And also that huge party/vow renewal in the woods I’ve been promising you for ten years – once we’re out of pandemic protocol) Happy anniversary babe ❤️.’

Just six months after meeting the couple were living together and would soon discover she was pregnant

The couple have since welcomed six children together: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah

Last year, James opened up about how getting married helped shape his identity – and how his cancer diagnosis affected his marriage. 

‘When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never all that fulfilling, and then I became a husband and it was much better and then I became a father and that was the ultimate,’ he said on social media. 

He said being away from his family for treatment and living alone in an apartment had forced him to ‘look my own mortality in the eye.’ 

‘All of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me,’ the devoted dad said. 

‘I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.’

In 2020, James and Kimberly left Hollywood and relocated with his family to Austin, Texas.

He told Fox News afterwards that the decision stemmed from him and his wife wanting their kids to be closer to ‘nature.’

‘We love it, we have a lot more space,’ he gushed at the time. ‘We all needed a more immediate connection to nature.

‘It’s been a really, really great move and the kids are really happy. One of the benefits of getting out of the big city was getting to a place where we could just have more space right outside our door. It’s a very different life.’ 

James and Kimberly returned to Israel where they tied the knot in August 2010 at the Kabbalah Centre in Tel Aviv

Kimberly also told ET Online that they opted to move after enduring a ‘crazy year’ that involved two tragic pregnancy losses and the death of James’ mother.

‘We just had been through a crazy year with two late-term miscarriages and my body was still healing and it was hard for me to walk around at that point,’ she shared.

‘I was exhausted. And James’ mom had just passed, so to get [to] Texas, it was the nurturing hug we needed. Texas has the capacity to heal. It’s expansive and nature will hug you and heal you.’

James previously spoke about his wife’s first pregnancy lost, which occurred in the midst of his appearance on Dancing With the Stars in 2019.

‘It was just so much pain, and it was so unexpected because everything was right, everything was fairytale,’ he said. 

‘Everything was coming together perfectly … We were both just crying and sobbing.’

She then endured another miscarriage in 2020, with James writing on Instagram at the time, ‘After suffering a brutal, very public miscarriage last November, we were overjoyed to learn we were pregnant. 

‘This time, we kept the news to ourselves. But last weekend, once again, 17 weeks in… the soul we’d been excited to welcome into the world had lessons for our family that did not include joining us in a living physical body.’

After moving, James admitted that his ‘priorities had changed,’ and that while he still loved acting and writing, he wanted to ‘spend the most amount of time with his family.’

‘I was really enjoying the kind of career that I had been wanting to build for quite some time before 2020 but now my priorities have changed,’ he said. ‘[My next role] would really have to fit around my life.’

James shared that when they met in 2009 he had finally come to the realisation that he was fed up being single and wanted to find his soul mate

Heartbroken Kimberly announced in an emotional statement on Wednesday that James had passed away at the age of 48. 

Taking to Instagram to share news of his death, Kimberly: ‘Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. 

‘There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.’ 

She then shared the post to her Story, along with a link to a Go Fund Me, writing: ‘My friends created this link to support me and our children during this time. With gratitude and a broken heart.’

Many of James’s celebrity pals were quick to gush over his love for Kimberly as they paid tribute to him after his tragic death. 

Modern Family alum Eric Stonestreet said, ‘James had a kind, generous, thoughtful, and beautiful soul. There is no doubt those traits will live on through his wife and gorgeous children. Rest In Peace, man.’ 

Twilight alum Nikki Reed also shared a lengthy message which read, ‘You beautiful soul. Anyone who had the privilege of knowing you is forever changed by you. Your depth, your presence, your unparalleled love for your family. 

‘The connection you and Kimberly have that transcends lifetimes. You still hold the prize for wisest person I’ve ever known.’

Last year, James opened up about how getting married helped shape his identity – and how his cancer diagnosis affected his marriage

Nikki added: ‘Oh James, you are so so so deeply loved. And so so deeply missed. My heart aches and I’m sure the ripples of those aches will be felt forever. And Kimberly, we are all wrapping you and those sweet babies in love. 

‘My special sister, you and James are the greatest example of love I’ve ever known. Here for you in every way, forever. ❤️.’

Meanwhile Dancing With The Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro said he has ‘learned so much from james’ over the course of their friendship and that he and his wife Kimberly ‘changed [his] life.’ 

Elsewhere Busy Philipps – who joined Dawson’s Creek in 2001 as Audrey Liddell – said: ‘I’m deeply saddened by the passing of James Van Der Beek. I got to meet him last year at his home in Texas. 

‘I can say that he and his wife have a beautiful relationship. He has a beautiful family with six beautiful kids.’