James Van Der Beek is addressing his appearance via video at the Dawson’s Creek reunion, which took place over the summer.
If you don’t know, a live staged reading of the fan favorite show’s pilot episode was set up, with the original cast returning to participate. The benefit show was organized to help James and F Cancer. If you aren’t aware, James announced his diagnosis with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2024, after being diagnosed in 2023. It was discovered he was selling some of his Varsity Blues memorabilia to help pay for his treatments.
Originally, James was announced as part of the lineup, but later confirmed he’d be unable to come due to two stomach viruses.
At the event, he recorded a video where fans grew concerned with how he appeared.
Now, in an interview with the Today show which aired on Friday (December 19), James addressed the reaction.
Keep reading to find out more…
James said, “I’d lost so much weight because of the stomach virus, yeah. No, it was not cancer related. Although with cancer everything’s like, ‘Why don’t we super size that stomach virus?’ ”
“As crushed as I was not being able to go to that Dawson’s Creek reunion, my family got to go. And I was Zooming in on that night and they got a standing ovation just for taking their seats. And all that love that would have otherwise been directed at me, was directed at my family. It was just one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever gotten to witness. I’m just so grateful to the fans for doing that,” he added.
“Presence is really the gift that cancer has given me,” he shared. “Before cancer, I took all these little beautiful moments as part of a collection. I was just aware of everything. Now, I’m able much more to just settle into that exact moment.”