James Van Der Beek has been inundated with a wave of messages of support from his fans after he went public with his battle with colorectal cancer.
The actor, 47, revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer on his Instagram over the weekend and later clarified People which was colorectal cancer.
He added that he felt forced to reveal his cancer diagnosis to the world before he had a chance to tell his loved ones, as a tabloid had planned to break the news.
In his post, James explained that he had been receiving treatment and said he was “in a good place and feeling strong.”
Following her announcement, the Dawson’s Creek star was praised by fans on social media, who expressed their shock and sadness and sent her well wishes, while many said they hoped her candor would raise awareness about the disease.
James Van Der Beek has been inundated with a wave of messages of support from his fans after he went public with his battle with colorectal cancer (pictured in 2019).
The actor, 47, revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer on his Instagram over the weekend and later clarified to People that it was colorectal cancer.
He added that he felt forced to reveal his cancer diagnosis to the world before he had a chance to tell his loved ones, as a tabloid had planned to break the news (pictured in 2020).
Addressing X, they gushed: ‘I’m sorry to hear that James Van Der Beek has colorectal cancer. James, you have been an inspiration to me for many reasons and I know you are strong. You will beat this!’
‘James Van Der Beek has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. My father died of the disease and it is horrible. I just had a routine colonoscopy last week. Please get tested and pray for this man.
‘I find this incredibly sad. I grew up on Dawson’s Creek and he’s a great actor. Wow, this is so sad.
‘We wish James Van Der Beek strength and recovery during this difficult time; Oh please let #jamesvanderbeek be okay, I’m begging you.
‘Van Der Beek’s candor about his colorectal cancer diagnosis is commendable. Raise awareness about the condition and highlight the importance of family support in difficult times. Wishing you strength on your journey.’
‘I wish James Van Der Beek a full recovery. God bless him and his family of 6 children; Oh wow, that’s shocking! I can’t believe James is going through that!’
‘All the best to James Van Der Beek. I hope he gets over it. And Dawson’s Creek was one of the staples of adolescence for me back then.
‘Wishing strength and support to James Van Der Beek. “It’s a difficult journey, but your story can inspire others to prioritize their health.”
In his post, James explained that he had been receiving treatment and said he was “in a good place and feeling strong.”
Following her announcement, the Dawson’s Creek star was praised by fans on social media, who expressed their shock and sadness and sent her well wishes, while many said they hoped her candor would raise awareness about the disease.
In James’ statement, he said he was sharing the news “on his own terms” and apologized to the “people in his life who he hadn’t had a chance to tell personally first.”
He explained that he was told that a tabloid was planning to publish the news, so he rushed to issue a statement before he had a chance to tell certain people, and admitted that it was before he would have liked to make it public.
He wrote: ‘It’s cancer…’ Every year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I am one of them.
‘There’s no manual on how to announce these things, but I had planned to talk at length about it with People magazine sometime soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms.
“But that plan had to be modified early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to publish the story.”
James continued: ‘I have been dealing with this privately until now, receiving treatment and improving my overall health more carefully than ever before.
‘I’m in a good place and I feel strong. It has been quite an initiation and I will tell you more when it is ready.
‘Apologies to all the people in my life that I had planned to say to myself. Nothing about this process has happened on my preferred timeline.
In James’ statement, he said he was sharing the news “on his own terms” and apologized to the “people in his life who he hadn’t had a chance to tell personally first.”
He explained that he was told that a tabloid was planning to publish the news, so he rushed to issue a statement before he had a chance to tell certain people, and admitted that it was before he would have liked to make it public.
‘But we press on, taking each surprise as a sign, 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 come…’
James is scheduled to be one of many celebrities to appear on Fox’s The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special in which celebrities will strip naked to raise awareness about prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer testing and research.
He will be joined by Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and Dancing With the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli.
While it’s unclear when he was first diagnosed with cancer, that certainly hasn’t slowed him down on the work front.
He recently appeared in an episode of The CW’s Walker and will next be seen in the Tubi film Sidelined: The QB and Me, debuting November 29.
Those projects were his first since 2021, when he voiced Boris in the Disney animated series Vampirina.
The Van Der Beeks just celebrated Halloween at their 36-acre ranch in Texas with their six children: daughter Olivia, 14; son Joshua, 12; daughter Annabel, 10 years old; his daughter Emilia, eight; daughter Gwendolyn, six; and his son Jeremiah, three.
Earlier on Sunday, James confirmed to People: ‘I have colorectal cancer. I have been dealing with this diagnosis privately and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my amazing family. There are reasons for optimism and I feel good.’
It’s unclear what stage of colorectal cancer James has, but it reportedly starts in the colon or rectum in one in 23 men on average, and 65% survive after five years.
The Van Der Beeks just celebrated Halloween at their 36-acre ranch in Texas with their six children: daughter Olivia, 14; son Joshua, 12; daughter Annabel, 10 years old; his daughter Emilia, eight; daughter Gwendolyn, six; and his son Jeremiah, three (pictured)