Meet James Van Der Beek's 6 Kids, All About Them Amid Dawson's Creek Actor's Death At 48 From Cancer

Hollywood is in a state of mourning after news broke that beloved actor, James Van Der Beek died on February 11, 2026. He was best known for his roles in Dawson's Creek, Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, and Labor Day, among others. James was 48 years old at the time of his passing. The news of his death was announced on his official Instagram page with the caption, "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning." The caption further stated that his final days were marked by courage, faith, and grace. For those unaware, James was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer back in August 2023. A year later, in November 2024, the actor opened up about his health struggles for the first time.  

It is worth noting that even while James Van Der Beek was battling cancer, he continued to prioritise his relationships with his close ones. This includes his wife, Kimberly, and six children: daughters, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, and sons, Jeremiah and Joshua. Now, as James Van Der Beek's children are left to cope with the loss of their father, here's everything you need to know about them. 

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, named their first child ‘Olivia’ because she looked like one 

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed their first child on September 25, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. At the time, the couple decided to name her Olivia Van Der Beek. During a conversation with People, the actor shared that there was a reason, and a particularly sweet one at that, to name her Olivia. He said that they "wanted her to come out and then see what her name would be.” Well, when she did come out, according to James, the baby “looked like an Olivia.”  

Regarding Olivia's birth, however, James' wife, Kimberly, revealed that although she had an easy pregnancy, the delivery was quite the opposite. Apparently, of James and Kimberly's six children, their eldest daughter was the only one born in a hospital. This is because James and Kimberly were firm believers of natural birth, yet James said that “at the end of the day we were very glad we were in the hospital.” When Olivia turned 5 months old, James said she was not only brilliant but also smarter than her father at that age. Notably, in February 2024,  Olivia made her debut on TV alongside her father on the game show, We Are Family.  

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly's second child, Joshua Van Der Beek, was a breech baby  

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly's second child was born to them at home on March 13, 2012. They named their little boy, Joshua Van Der Beek. According to reports, when Kimberly was 37 weeks pregnant with him, she learned the baby was in a breech position. The doctor she was seeing at the time told her that she might have to go for a C-section if the fetus didn't turn, which was pretty unsettling to hear. Thankfully, they came across another doctor who was adept at delivering breech babies. While announcing Joshua's birth, she called it painful but also peaceful and perfect at the same time. 

After the arrival of their second child, James said in an interview that he had barely any free time now that he was a father of two. However, he added that being a father was “the best”.  

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly's third child, Annabel, was their “easiest baby” 

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly celebrated the birth of their third child, Annabel Van Der Beek, on January 25, 2014. It is worth mentioning that the Varsity Blues actor took nearly a week after she was born to reveal her name. He explained the reason during his appearance on The Talk, saying he and his wife felt they needed to see their baby face-to-face before deciding on a name. What was most surprising was that James and Kimberly went “old school” and waited until Annabel was born to find out the baby's gender. Over the years, James had often praised Annabel's sense of adventure and spontaneity on his social media.  

James called his and Kimberly's fourth child, Emilia, “a magical little soul” 

Kimberly gave birth to her and James' fourth child at their Los Angeles home on March 23, 2016. Being their third daughter, the couple lovingly named her Emilia Van Der Beek. James posted on Instagram two days after her birth to share the happy news, writing, “Crazy how deeply in love you can fall in love with someone you just met,” followed by a heart eyes emoji. The next year, in 2017, James shared her picture on his grid for the first time on her birthday. Penning a sweet tribute, he wrote: 

“One year ago today, I got to meet this sweet, determined, magical little soul.” 

James and Kimberly's fifth child, Gwendolyn, has a “big personality” 

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly's fifth child, and their youngest daughter, was born on June 15, 2018. The duo named her Gwendolyn Van Der Beek on her arrival. As you might have already guessed, like three of her older siblings, she, too, was born at home with a midwife and a doctor present. While confirming the birth of his youngest daughter, James told People that while every child awakens a different energy in you, Gwendolyn “has been bringing up the truth” ever since the couple found out that they were pregnant with her. On Gwendolyn's 4th birthday, James took to his social media and wrote: 

“You’re such a big personality, and you command so much of the world around you.”  

James and Kimberly's sixth child, Jeremiah, was born in Texas 

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed their sixth child, Jeremiah Van Der Beek, on October 10, 2021. Reportedly, he was born at the couple's ranch in Texas. This was because a few years back, in September 2020 had moved from Los Angeles to Texas. While announcing his birth on Instagram, James wrote that he was humbled and overjoyed to announce the safe and happy arrival of Jeremiah. He also added that they had decided to nickname their youngest boy, Remi. Compared to his siblings, James and Kimberly kept Jeremiah's pregnancy as quiet as possible. Later, in an interview, the actor explained that he was concerned about having enough one-on-one time with each child.

Team BollywoodShaadis extends our deepest condolences to the family as they deal with the loss of James Van Der Beek. May his soul rest in peace. 

Also read: Meet LeBron James' Son Bronny James, All About NBA Star Amid His Season-High In Spurs Vs Lakers Game

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