Los Angeles, California – Katie Holmes honored her late Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek after his tragic passing from colorectal cancer.
The 47-year-old shared a hand-written, heartfelt tribute on Instagram on Wednesday after James’ death was confirmed by his wife, Kimberly.
Katie emotionally penned, “James, thank you. To share a space with your imagination is sacred – breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression.”
“These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs – adventures of a unique youth,” the Batman Begins actor continued.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show makes history despite dip in ratings
Katie also praised her co-star’s best qualities, including his “compassion, bravery, selflessness, and strength.”
She shared that she mourns the loss of the Varsity Blues star “with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it.”
Katie went on to address his wife and six children, adding, “We are here for you always and will always be there to shower you with love and compassion.”
The First Daughter actor played Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek, the best friend and love interest of James’ titular character on the teen drama that ran from 1998-2003.
Hours after his death was announced, a GoFundMe page was launched for The Rules of Attraction star’s wife and children, who are now “out of funds” after his cancer battle and “facing an uncertain future.”
Per TMZ, as of Thursday, the crowdfunding campaign has raised $1.2 million in donations from fans and fellow stars such as Derek Hough and Zoe Saldaña.
James, who died at the age of 48, announced his diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024. His final role in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, will debut this summer on Prime Video.
