James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The veteran actor himself revealed this in an interview with People magazine over the weekend.
“I have colon cancer. I am personally dealing with this diagnosis and, with the support of my wonderful family, I am taking steps towards a resolution,” the 47-year-old said. He added:
“There is reason for optimism and I feel good.”
James Van Der Beek attends Operation Smile’s 11th Annual Celebrity Ski Competition sponsored by Alpha Pals, Barefoot Dreams and St. Regis Deer Valley on April 1, 2023 in Park City, Utah. Attend the And Smile Challenge. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images, Operation Smile)
Colorectal cancer, which occurs in the colon or rectum, is one of the most serious forms of this dreaded disease.
The details of Van der Beek’s case are not known, but the overall five-year survival rate is about 64%.
Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly have six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabelle, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.
The actor will forever be known for his role on Dawson’s Creek, but he recently appeared in an episode of Walker and will next be seen in the Tubi original film Sidelined: The QB and Me, which opens November 29th. He is scheduled to star in “.
Fashion detailer James Van Der Beek attends the 71st Annual Emmy Awards Ceremony held at the Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Fraser Harrison/Getty Images)
Shortly after People published its exclusive story with Van Der Beek, he released a lengthy statement on social media that addressed his loved ones who first learned they had cancer after reading about it online. apologized.
“About 2 billion people worldwide receive this diagnosis each year, and I’m one of them,” he wrote.
“I don’t have a strategy for how I’m going to publish these things, but I was going to talk about this in detail in People magazine soon…to raise awareness and tell my story in my own words.
“However, we had to change those plans early this morning when we were informed that the tabloid was planning to publish this story.”
The TV personality continued:
I have personally dealt with this issue and have worked harder than ever to seek treatment and improve my overall health. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s quite an introduction, but I’ll go into more detail when you’re ready.
I apologize to everyone in my life that I was going to tell myself. Nothing about this process is happening in my preferred timeline…but we take each of its surprises as signposts to a greater destiny that we might not have discovered but for divine intervention. We will move forward with the process, pointing us towards the future.
Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.
James Van Der Beek attends the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 20, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brecken/Getty Images)
Next month, Van Der Beek will be hosting a two-hour special, “The Real He is scheduled to appear in “The Full Monty.”
And for now, while going through this difficult journey, the actor is spending as much time as possible with his family and trying to keep things as normal as possible.
“When I was a kid, I made all my own costumes,” the Varsity Blues alum wrote in a Halloween post featuring herself, her spouse, and several of her youngest children trick-or-treating. did.
“I really didn’t have a choice. But I loved it. That was probably the first warning sign to my parents that I was going to become an actor.”
We pray for the repose of the soul of Mr. James Van Der Beek.
