Kimberly Van Der Beek posted a supportive message for her husband, actor James Van Der Beek, after he revealed Sunday that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and was undergoing treatment for the condition.
“I love you baby," Kimberly posted with a heart after "baby" in a show of support for her famous husband.
Van Der Beek said in the post that he hadn't planned to reveal the diagnosis publicly, but that media outlets got wind of the news and threatened to go public with it against his objections.
He apologized for not telling everyone in person because of the media threats to take the news public.
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline,” Van Der Beek said. “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.”
He concluded, “Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.”
Colorectal cancer occurs when growths in the colon's lining become malignant, the Cleveland Clinic said. While Van Der Beek said in his post that 2 billion people worldwide are diagnosed with the cancer each year, the actual number is more like 1.9 million.
The Van Der Beeks have been married since 2010 and have six children ages 14 to 3.
James is not the only one in his family who has suffered a major health issue.
Kimberly suffered miscarriages in 2019 and 2020 before their youngest child, Jeremiah, was born.
She said in 2019 that she "almost lost her life" while miscarrying their son late in the pregnancy.
Just days before James announced his cancer diagnosis, Kimberly posted a throwback photo of the couple on Instagram, captioned, “We were babies. So much life lived since then. Grateful for it all.”
James is best known for playing Dawson Leery on the popular teen show "Dawson's Creek" from 1998 to 2003.
The couple moved their family to Texas from California in 2020.
