James Van Der Beek's Wife Shares Emotional Message 3 Months After His Death
James Van Der Beek's wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared a heartfelt message about grief three months after the actor's death.
"Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames. To say I'm heartbroken is a severe understatement," Kimberly, 44, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, May 12, alongside a series of photos from her life with James and their six children. "Words just don't capture what grief is."
Kimberly explained, "The comforts of shock have worn off. The reality is settling in … and I miss him. We all miss him. Yet, there is a different kind of magic in the air."
The actress, who married James in 2010, noted that while her husband is no longer physically by her side, his spirit lives on.
"I feel him. I know him more deeply," Kimberly said of her bond with James since his death in February following a battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48.
"My conscious connection to God has deepened. The veils of the universe have thinned. And I trust that this is the path me and my family have always been intended to walk," his widow continued.
"We decided two days beforehand and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles and we renewed our vows from bed," Kimberly told People on February 17.
Kimberly shared that the "simple and beautiful" ceremony included several friends and family members. She added that musician Poranguí was on hand and played the "most beautiful music," including "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
In the months since his death, fans and celebrity friends have reflected on some of their favorite memories with the beloved actor.
"I think it hits in a variety of different ways, and so for me, as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague, so I think processing is ongoing," Joshua Jackson, who starred on Dawson's Creek with James, said during a March 10 appearance on the Today show. "He and I shared this amazing time where that [Dawson's Creek] clip comes from at a very young point in our life and it was formational for us, and I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness."
Kimberly, for her part, has paid tribute to her late husband on different milestones for their family, including daughter Emilia's 10th birthday in late March. (The couple also share daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.)
"Just a few heavenly months ago. Missing you my love," Kimberly wrote via her Instagram Story on March 28, sharing a picture of James cuddling up to Emilia.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 12:20 PM.