James Van Der Beek announced his cancer diagnosis on November 3, 2024. But it was a decision that was rushed, as the actor was informed a tabloid was going to run the story before he had a chance to tell it himself. So he hurried to release a public statement, something he says he felt forced to do before he had the chance to tell his loved ones personally. The 47-year-old Dawson’s Creek alum issued an apology to those in his life in the middle of sharing his diagnosis.
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Here's what the actor posted.
James posted a video montage on his Instagram profile accompanied with an emotional message. “‘It is cancerā¦’ Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And Iām one of them,” he wrote. “Thereās no playbook for how announce these things, but Iād planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon, to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
He'd been handling the cancer on his own.
“Iāve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. Iām in a good place and feeling strong. Itās been quite the initiation, and Iāll tell you more when Iām ready,” James continued. “Apologies to all the people in my life who Iād planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline. But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention. Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support. More to comeā¦ .”
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James revealed his official diagnosis in an exclusive interview with People magazine.
In an exclusive interview with People, James shared that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society notes this type of cancer starts in the colon or the rectum.
āThereās reason for optimism, and Iām feeling good,” he shared. He’s also been maintaining work while navigating his new health journey.
Fans showed their support.
“While the news came out sooner than youād hoped, please know that you now have many thousands praying for you and your family. ā¤ļøšš»ā¤ļø,” one person wrote.
“I’m so sorry that a tabloid has violated your privacy like this,” another person commented. “This is your story that you should have had the full autonomy to share on your timeline and on your terms. Lifting up your whole family. ā¤ļø.”
James’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, also commented. “I love you baby ā„ļø,” she wrote.
He is going to appear in a special to raise cancer awareness.
In December 2024, James is set to appear in a two-hour special, The Real Full Monty, which is executive produced by Anthony Anderson. He’ll be accompanied by stars including Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli.
The purpose of the special is for male celebrities to strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research, according to People.
